South Korean Fighter Jets Accidentally Drop Bombs in Pocheon, Injuring 8 Civilians

On Thursday, during a joint live-fire exercise with the U.S. military, two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, injuring eight people, officials reported. The MK-82 bombs, released by the KF-16 fighter jets, missed their target and fell outside a designated firing range.

The South Korean air force expressed deep regret over the incident, apologized to those affected, and hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured. The air force also promised to offer compensation and take any necessary steps to address the situation.

Investigation and Reaction

The air force reported that the fighter jets were participating in a one-day firing drill with the U.S. military in Pocheon, a city near the heavily armed border with North Korea. A special committee has been formed to investigate the accident and assess the damage.

An unidentified air force official disclosed to local reporters that one of the KF-16 pilots had entered the wrong coordinates for the bombing site. Another Defense Ministry official said further investigation was needed to understand why the second KF-16 also dropped bombs in the civilian area.

During a televised briefing, Pocheon Mayor Paek Young Hyeun described the bombings as “awful” and urged the military to stop drills in the city until reliable measures to prevent such incidents are in place. He highlighted that Pocheon, a city with a population of 140,000, provides three major firing ranges for South Korean and U.S. military exercises.

Eyewitness Account and Military Response

Park Seong-sook, a 70-year-old eyewitness who was unharmed, recounted her experience. She said, “I thought a war had broken out. It was such a loud sound,” and added that the incident left her trembling with fear.

The military announced later on Thursday that it decided to suspend all live-fire drills across South Korea until further notice. This accident occurred just days before the South Korean and U.S. militaries were set to begin large-scale annual exercises on the following Monday.

The duration of the suspension of live-fire training remains unknown, but experts believe it will continue until the cause of the recent accident is determined and preventive steps are taken.

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Casualties and Property Damage

According to Pocheon’s disaster response department, six civilians and two soldiers were injured in the incident and were receiving treatment in hospitals. Four of the injured civilians were in serious condition, while two of the seriously injured were foreigners: one from Thailand and the other from Myanmar.

The department also reported that three houses, a Catholic church, and a greenhouse were partially damaged. However, they did not seem to have been directly hit by the bombs.