The South Korean military has filed a criminal negligence charge, against two Air Force pilots for accidentally bombing a village during a training exercise, which left at least 15 people injured.
The defense force personnel were dragged to a military court, weeks after their fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, during a live-fire joint exercise with United States forces, in Pocheon, a village bordering North Korea.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Criminal Investigation, investigators from the Defense Ministry confirmed that pilots’ errors when entering coordinates into the aircraft’s systems were the direct cause of the accidental bombing
“The pilots were charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, and investigation of the incident is ongoing,” the command official said on Thursday.
The ministry added that both pilots have been taken off flight duties and a review of their flight mission certification has been scheduled.
Meanwhile, the Air Force chief of staff has apologized for the accident and pledged to review mission procedures to prevent similar incidents.
Several areas in Pocheon and neighboring regions have training grounds used by the South Korean and U.S. militaries.
Residents have for years complained about potential safety risks and disturbance from military units being mobilized in the area.
North Korea, which routinely denounces military drills by the South Korean and U.S. militaries, has said the accident showed the risk of the drills triggering armed conflict, citing the possibility the bombs could have dropped north of the border.
