At least 15 people were injured in South Korea after fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, during a live-fire joint exercise with United States forces, in Pocheon.
The blast occurred after two Air Force KF-16s jet released eight 500-pound MK-82 bombs, which landed outside the designated firing range.
According to South Korean fire officials on Thursday, two of the 15 people were civilians with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
In contrast, those with minor injuries included two soldiers who were at a military chapel and two foreign nationals residing in the area.
The officials added that eight buildings also sustained damage, including the chapel, five houses, one warehouse, and one greenhouse.
Confirming this, the South Korean Air Force explained that four of the bombs misfired because one of the fighter jet pilots entered incorrect coordinates during the flight preparation process.
The military force noted that further investigation was needed to determine why the second jet incorrectly dropped the four other bombs.
“The fighter jet was participating in a combined live-fire exercise involving both the South Korean Air Force and Army. We sincerely regret the civilian damage caused by this accidental release and wish for the swift recovery of the injured,” it said.
“The Air Force will actively implement all necessary measures, including compensation for damages.”
“There are procedures to verify coordinates both on the ground and in the air. However, it appears that a mistake was made in this process,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The South Korean military training in Pocheon, a northeastern city of about 140,000 people near the heavily fortified border with North Korea, was in preparation for Freedom Shield, an annual U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise set to kick off on Monday.
