Pocheon, South Korea – A military exercise turned disastrous in Pocheon, South Korea, when two fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs in a civilian district, injuring 15 people, two of them seriously. The incident involving Air Force KF-16 aircraft occurred near the border with North Korea at approximately 10:04 local time (01:04 GMT).
The South Korean Air Force has since launched an investigation into the incident and issued an apology for the damage caused. They have also promised to provide compensation to those affected by the accident. Although instances of shells from live firing exercises landing near civilian residences are not uncommon, they rarely result in injuries.
Local media reports revealed that two individuals suffered fractures to their necks and shoulders as a result of the accident. One 60-year-old individual even had shrapnel lodged in their neck while driving at the time of the explosion. According to Yonhap, they recalled hearing a loud bang before waking up in an ambulance.
The Korea Air Force confirmed that the KF-16 fighter jet mistakenly dropped the bombs outside the designated firing range due to an input error in coordinates by the pilot. Additionally, investigators are still looking into why the second jet dropped its bombs and have decided to suspend all live-fire exercises as a precautionary measure.
Damages from the incident included a church building and several houses being affected, with images in local media showing broken windows and damaged roofs. Residents in the area described the explosion as sounding like thunder and causing great fear and chaos.
Furthermore, the joint training exercise with US forces was related to a series of drills scheduled from March 10 to March 20. This joint effort comes at a time of increased vigilance between South Korea and the US due to concerns over North Korea’s growing alliance with Russia.
Past joint drills between South Korea and the US have also faced mishaps, with a short-range ballistic missile malfunctioning in 2022 and crashing on a golf course within a military base. These incidents have sparked fear and prompted further safety evaluations in military exercises to prevent future accidents.
