Pocheon: Seven people were injured Thursday after two Air Force KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight air-to-surface bombs outside a training range during live-fire drills, military officials and fire authorities said. This unprecedented mistaken bombing occurred in a civilian town, leading to significant damage and injuries.
According to Yonhap News Agency, authorities reported that a presumed shell fell on a road near a house in Pocheon, approximately 40 kilometers north of Seoul, around 10 a.m. The incident left seven people, including five civilians, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. A church and six other buildings in the village were destroyed, and a cargo vehicle was damaged. Fire authorities noted that two individuals sustained serious injuries, primarily bone fractures, and all injured parties remain conscious. All seven injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment.
Military officials disclosed that the KF-16 fighter jets, engaged in a live-fire exercise, "abnormally" released four MK-82 bombs each outside the designated training range in Pocheon at 10:04 a.m. The Air Force has launched an investigation into the accident, led by Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Park Ki-wan, and has issued an apology for the civilian damage.
"We are sorry for the civilian damage from the abnormal (bomb) release accident and wish for the swift recovery of those injured," the Air Force stated. "We will actively take all necessary measures, including compensation for the damage." This incident represents the first accidental bombing by South Korean fighter jets resulting in casualties. Previously, in 2004, an Air Force F-5B mistakenly released a practice bomb over Boryeong, 138 kilometers south of Seoul, but no injuries occurred.
Earlier in the day, South Korea and the United States conducted combined live-fire drills near the inter-Korean border, demonstrating firepower against North Korean military threats ahead of their annual springtime exercise. The exercise took place at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, just 25 kilometers south of the border, utilizing over 160 pieces of military hardware, including K2 tanks, K55A1 self-propelled howitzers, Apache attack helicopters, and F-35A stealth jets, according to the Army.