US authorities said a US military F-16 jet has crashed in southern South Korea Wednesday during a training mission but its pilot ejected to safety

US authorities said a US military F-16 jet has crashed in southern South Korea Wednesday during a training mission but its pilot ejected to safety.
  
“The plane crashed into a rice paddy near a US air base in the western port city of Gunsan,” the US military said in a statement. "The (lone) pilot safely ejected before the plane crashed. Emergency response teams are on scene at this time," it added.
  
There were no casualties or serious damage on the ground, a US air force spokesman said, adding details would be released later.
  
A local fire station officer in Seocheon county near Gunsan said previously the pilot was injured and taken away by ambulance. The officer had identified the aircraft involved as an A-10 tank buster.
  
The crash came as South Korean and US troops stage an annual joint military exercise, called Foal Eagle, from March 1 to April 30. It was unclear if the F-16 was involved in the drill.