South Korean Air Force Jets Injure 15 People After Accidentally Bombing a Residential Area

Fifteen individuals were hurt when a bomb struck residences due to an accident involving South Korean Air Force jets.

The Air Force and fire department in South Korea reported that 15 people were hurt Thursday when fighter jet bombs accidentally hit a residential area during military drills in Pocheon, damaging homes and a church.

Two of the victims had significant injuries, according to the Gyeonggi-do Bukbu Fire Services. Pocheon is situated close to the strongly guarded border with North Korea, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Seoul.

During joint live-fire drills, the South Korean Air Force acknowledged that eight 500-pound (225-kg) Mk82 bombs dropped by KF-16 jets fell outside the specified shooting range.

The Air Force released a statement saying, “We wish the injured a speedy recovery and we are sorry for the damage caused by the abnormal drop accident.”

Around noon, locals who have long objected to the dangers of the adjacent training grounds were evacuated while officials searched the area for unexploded ordnance, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Photographs taken at the scene revealed a church edifice engulfed with rubble and broken glass.

In advance of their yearly military drills, which are scheduled to start next week, the defense ministry announced earlier Thursday that South Korea and the United States were performing their first joint live-fire exercises in Pocheon.

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the goal of the joint Freedom Shield exercise, which will take place from Monday through March 20, is to increase the alliance’s preparedness against threats, especially those posed by North Korea.

According to the JCS, this year’s exercises will take into consideration North Korea’s expanding relations with Russia and integrate “lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.”

United States Forces Korea (USFK) spokesperson Ryan Donald told reporters Thursday, “Our planners look across the globe and identify the trends that are changing, and we look at how we can incorporate that into our exercises.”

JCS official Lee Sung-jun stated that approximately 70 combined field training sessions are scheduled for this year’s exercise.