September 28, 2016•Update: September 28, 2016
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
The bodies of three South Korean navy personnel were all recovered as of Wednesday morning, after the crew’s helicopter crashed Monday evening during a military drill aimed at demonstrating to North Korea the force of Seoul’s alliance with the United States.
A first body was discovered nearly 24 hours after the suspected accident, while the two other crew members were found in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the South’s navy -- which said that a remote control submersible vehicle had been part of the search operation in waters east of the peninsula.
It has not yet been confirmed what caused the crash involving a Lynx helicopter known to be more than 30 years old.
Monday’s weather was considered satisfactory but the crew sent out multiple Mayday signals before the chopper came down.
North Korea’s recent fifth ever nuclear test has stirred a busy response from the allies, who have been keen to show off their capabilities to Pyongyang -- from supersonic bombers to anti-submarine aircraft.
This week’s exercise was arranged outside of the usual annual drills held by South Korea and the U.S.
The North continues to ignore United Nations Security Council resolutions by developing nuclear weapons -- but Pyongyang claims its efforts are designed to counter American aggression.
There are nearly 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in the South and the allies are moving ahead with plans to deploy a new anti-missile system which North Korea has already threatened to make a target.
