Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs outside their training range during a live-fire drill Thursday, striking civilian homes and injuring 15 people.
The bombing accident occurred at the village of Pocheon, located about 25 miles from Seoul, with a population of 160,000. The live-fire drill was a warm-up for South Korea’s annual Freedom Shield joint exercise with the U.S. military, which is scheduled to run from March 10 to 21 this year.
The South Korean Air Force said the KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly released eight MK-82 free-fall bombs outside of the designated practice area near Seungjin Training Ground, striking a road near a bridge in Pocheon.
The MK-82 bomb is a 500-pound unguided munition that excels at destroying bridges and other infrastructure. The bombs accidentally dropped on Thursday were very effective, although one of them reportedly failed to detonate and was later recovered from its impact site by an ordnance disposal unit:
“The pilot mistakenly entered the wrong coordinates during flight preparation, as confirmed through the pilot’s testimony and other sources,” the South Korean Air Force said.
“There are procedures in place to confirm coordinates both on the ground and in the air. It appears that an error occurred in this process. Additionally, there is a protocol requiring final verification before releasing ordnance from the air,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
“Emergency responders transported four people with severe injuries and three with minor wounds to a hospital for treatment. Seven civilian homes, including a church building, were also damaged, though authorities have yet to fully assess the extent of the destruction,” the Korea Herald reported Thursday.
Korea Joongang Daily (KJD) reported the severe injuries included “broken limbs and abrasions of the neck and shoulders,” but none of the victims “suffered cardiac arrest or were rendered unconscious.”
“Among the casualties were two soldiers and two foreign nationals,” the KJD report added.
Local pastor Kim Jong-moon told KJD that when “all of the church windows shattered with a horrendous noise” from the bombs, he feared “war had broken out” with North Korea.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said the incident is under investigation by an Air Force “accident countermeasure committee.” Among other questions, the committee will investigate why both of the fighters involved in the incident dropped their bombs, rather than just the lead aircraft.
Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyeon requested a temporary halt to military exercises until Thursday’s disaster has been adequately explained, and new safety protocols are in effect. The Defense Ministry granted that request, ordering a pause in live-fire exercises until a “full explanation” can be provided.
