A KF-16 fighter jet crashed during takeoff from a base in the southwestern county of Seosan on Thursday, with the pilot ejecting safely.

According to the Air Force, the jet belonged to the 20th Fighter Wing and was performing a routine air operations mission.

After the crash happened some 120 kilometers southwest of Seoul at 8:20 a.m., the pilot who ejected safely was taken to a hospital out of precaution and there were no reports of civilian damage resulting from the on-base incident.

The Air Force has formed a taskforce to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The latest crash occurred just nine months after a KA-1 light attack aircraft crashed on December 26, 2022, and ten months after another KF-16 fighter jet belonging to the 19th Fighter Wing crashed after an engine fuel pump failed due to poor maintenance.