In a shocking accident, two South Korean fighter jets mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian area during a joint live-fire exercise with the U.S. military, leaving eight people injured. The incident occurred on Thursday when KF-16 fighter jets accidentally released eight MK-82 bombs outside a designated firing range. South Korea’s air force swiftly issued an apology, expressing hopes for the recovery of the injured, pledging compensation, and vowing to take necessary corrective measures.
The mishap took place during a one-day firing drill in Pocheon, a city near the heavily fortified border with North Korea. The South Korean Air Force announced that a special committee would conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident and assess the extent of the damage.
Investigation Points to Human Error
An anonymous Air Force official revealed that one of the KF-16 pilots had mistakenly entered the wrong coordinates for the bombing target. A separate unidentified official from the Defense Ministry stated that further examination was required to understand why the second KF-16 also mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian area.
Reacting to the incident, Pocheon Mayor Paek Young Hyeun described the accidental bombings as “awful” and called on the military to suspend all drills in the city until measures are in place to prevent similar mishaps. He emphasized that Pocheon, a city with a population of 140,000, hosts three major firing ranges used by both South Korean and U.S. forces.
