Yesterday, two KF-16 fighters of the South Korean Air Force (ROKAF) mistakenly bombed a residential area with MK-82 bombs during one of the most recent live-fire and weapon deployment exercises conducted by the force. During the exercise, the units were deployed near the border with North Korea, 40 kilometers from Seoul, with the participation of U.S. Air Force aircraft. The incident is currently under investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
According to local authorities, the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces were conducting a live-fire exercise in Pocheon when KF-16 fighters dropped eight 500-pound MK-82 bombs outside the designated range. An unidentified ROKAF source told local journalists that one of the fighter pilots had mistakenly entered the wrong bombing coordinates.
Currently, the city of Pocheon has three major firing ranges used by South Korean and U.S. military forces. Nearby is the Seungjin Training Center, where the intended bombing target was located.
Following the incident, which resulted in 15 injuries and the destruction of several buildings, all live-fire exercises in South Korea have been suspended. Additionally, this accident comes just days before South Korea and the U.S. were set to announce the launch of the large-scale Freedom Shield exercise as part of their annual combined training plan. This marks the first deployment of the year under the new U.S. administration, originally scheduled to take place from March 10 to March 20. It remains unclear how long the training suspension will last, but analysts suggest it will continue until the cause of the accident is determined.
Lastly, it is worth noting that this is not the first incident to occur during a joint U.S.-South Korea exercise. In a 2022 combined drill, a short-range ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed onto a golf course at a military base. While the warhead did not detonate, it caused a fire. Meanwhile, in 2004, a ROKAF F-5B mistakenly dropped a practice bomb over Boryeong, 85 miles south of Seoul, though no injuries were reported.
Cover photo used for illustration purposes.
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