SriLanka, Aug. 22 -- Two of the three Sri Lankan nationals who helped rescue two Air Force pilots from the Yellow Sea four years ago were granted long-term residency visas Friday, the Justice Ministry said.

On August 12, 2022, the foreign nationals were working on a fishing boat off the coast of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, when they discovered the pilots of a fighter jet that had crashed into the sea due to an engine fire. Along with the ship's Korean captain, they rescued the pilots from the water.

The three had entered Korea under the E-9 Employment Permit System at the time of the incident, which allows for a maximum stay of four years and ten months. Of them, two were granted E-7-4 skilled worker status earlier Friday, while the third had a...