US military helicopter crashes near North Korea border

SEOUL - Agence France-Presse

A U.S. Navy serviceman stands next to a military helicopter on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) in Hong Kong, Monday, April 15, 2013. AP photo

A US military helicopter taking part in a joint South Korea-US drill crashed Tuesday near the North Korean border with no apparent casualties, officials said.
 
A US military official identified the aircraft as a CH-53 US Marine helicopter that was carrying three crew and 13 other personnel during a training exercise.
 
No casualties were reported.
 
The Yonhap news agency had previously identified the helicopter as a UH-60 Black Hawk with 12 personnel on board.
 
The US official described the crash as a "hard landing" in Cheolwon county, which touches on the border with North Korea.
 
The Korean peninsula is currently at a state of heightened military tensions, partly due to North Korea's anger over the ongoing South Korea-US military exercises, which it sees as an invasion rehearsal.
 
There are 28,500 US military personnel permanently stationed in South Korea.