Fifteen people were injured on Thursday after two South Korean Air Force KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight air-to-ground bombs outside a training field during a live-fire exercise. Military and fire authorities reported that this was an unprecedented accidental bombing over a civilian area.
The incident took place in a village in Pocheon, about 40 kilometers north of Seoul, around 10:00 a.m. As a result, 15 people, including two soldiers and two foreign nationals, suffered varying degrees of injuries. Additionally, a church and seven other buildings were damaged.
Fire authorities stated that two civilians sustained serious injuries and were transported to the hospital, though their facial and shoulder wounds are not life-threatening. Eight other people with minor injuries were also hospitalized for treatment. The number of affected individuals is expected to rise as more people seek medical attention.
Approximately 50 residents were evacuated to City Hall to keep them away from the affected area.
According to Army officials, the KF-16 fighter jets were participating in a live-fire exercise when, at 10:04 a.m., they “abnormally” dropped four MK-82 bombs each outside the training field in Pocheon.
The Air Force announced that an investigation into the accident has been launched, led by Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Park Ki-wan. It also issued an apology for the damage to civilians and assured that all necessary measures, including compensation for losses, will be taken.
This marks the first accidental bombing by South Korean fighter jets to result in casualties. Previously, in 2004, an Air Force F-5B aircraft mistakenly dropped a practice bomb over Boryeong, 138 kilometers south of Seoul, but no injuries were reported in that incident.
Coincidentally, on the same day as the accident, South Korea and the United States conducted joint live-fire drills near the inter-Korean border as a show of force against North Korea’s military threats. These exercises are part of the preparations for the annual spring military drills scheduled for this month.
The maneuvers took place at the Seungjin Training Field in Pocheon, just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border. More than 160 military units participated, including K2 tanks, K55A1 self-propelled howitzers, Apache attack helicopters, and F-35A stealth fighters, according to the Army.
