South Korean F-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped Mk82 bombs on a town near the North Korean border during a live-fire drill, injuring 15 people and damaging multiple buildings, local media reported.
The South Korean Air Force confirmed to The Korean Herald that two F-16s dropped eight unguided MK-82 bombs outside the Seungjin Training Ground area that landed in the town of Pocheon.
After reports that a shell impacted the Pocheon area in South Korea and hit a house, South Korea’s MBC News is now reporting that 7 are injured in total. MBC News also mentioned that the incident may be the result of a “fighter jet misfire” during joint exercises with the United… pic.twitter.com/20FGxP9TBE
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 6, 2025
Officials said the fighter jets were part of Freedom Shield Exercise 2025, the annual military exercise between the South Koreans and the Americans.
Footage of the bombing near Nangyu Bridge in Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon, about 31 miles northeast of Seoul, surfaced on X early Thursday.
South Korean Fighter Jet Accidentally Drops Bombs on Residential Village During US-ROK Drill
— Matt Kim (@FreeMattKim) March 6, 2025
During a joint US-ROK military training exercise, a South Korean fighter jet mistakenly dropped eight bombs on the residential village of Pocheon, injuring four severely and leaving… pic.twitter.com/Ul95PwvqYO
Reuters quoted Pocheon Mayor Baeck Young-Hyun, who described the incident as "unthinkable." He urged the military and government to implement new measures to prevent further civilian harm.
"Something that should never have happened just happened," the mayor said, adding, "The place where the bombs landed is utterly chaotic and looks like a battlefield."
Footage of the aftermath...
UPDATE: Fifteen people were injured Thursday (Mar. 6) after fighter jets mistakenly dropped bombs on #SouthKorea's civilian area during live-fire drills.
— ShanghaiEye🚀official (@ShanghaiEye) March 6, 2025
Two KF-16 fighter jets dropped four respective air-to-surface bombs by mistake outside a live-fire range in #Pocheon, some 40… https://t.co/KLop5DDJ3t pic.twitter.com/OtafljLiUW
Images emerging from the blast site clearly show a huge explosion and serious damage has taken place in Nogok-ri, near Nangyudae Bridge in Pocheon's Idong district. Residential area appears to have taken direct hit. 7 reportedly injured. pic.twitter.com/OzqNhtqApY
— Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) March 6, 2025
🔴#URGENTE | Por error, un avión de combate KF-16 arrojó 8 bombas en una zona residencial de la ciudad surcoreana de Pocheon. Ocurrió durante los ejercicios militares entre 🇰🇷Corea del Sur y 🇺🇸Estados Unidos. #RochexRB27 pic.twitter.com/bYNJCl7bSz
— Rochex R. Robinson Bonilla (@RochexRB27) March 6, 2025
🤯 In South Korea, a plane accidentally dropped 8 bombs on a residential area, injuring 15 people
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 6, 2025
This happened in the city of Pocheon, damaging two residential buildings and a church. Two of the 15 injured suffered serious wounds, Reuters reports.
Pocheon is located about 40… pic.twitter.com/ki8opjD0H3
Ahead of the accident, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Freedom Shield joint drills, which will run from March 10 to 20, aim to strengthen the alliance's readiness for threats like North Korea. As of Thursday, all drills are suspended while an investigation is carried out.
Maybe the South Korean fighter jet pilots need more training in the bomb-dropping department...
