South Korean fighter jet crashes, two pilots presumed dead

Wreckage of a F-15K fighter jet is seen after it crashed in a mountain in Chilgok, South Korea, April 5, 2018. Yonhap via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean fighter jet crashed southeast of Seoul on Thursday, leaving two pilots presumed dead, the air force said. The jet was unrelated to U.S.-South Korean military drills taking place in South Korea this month. The annual joint military exercises were delayed by about a month for the Winter Olympics and to help create conditions for a resumption of talks between North and South Korea. The F-15 jet was returning to base from conducting air maneuvers when it crashed, an air force official said. He did not comment on the possible cause. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang; Writing by Joyce Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)