15 injured by Korean Air Force's accidental bombing of village in Pocheon amid joint drill with U.S.

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15 injured by Korean Air Force's accidental bombing of village in Pocheon amid joint drill with U.S.

Published: 06 Mar. 2025, 18:10 Updated: 07 Mar. 2025, 14:31

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A church lies damaged after the Air Force discharged eight bombs onto Pocheon, Gyeonggi, during a live-fire exercise on March. 6. [NEWS1]

South Korean Air Force fighters mistakenly released eight bombs onto a village in Gyeonggi, on Thursday, injuring fifteen people during a joint live-fire exercise with the United States.

The people injured after the bombs fell on Idong-myeon, a village in Pocheon, included two pedestrians and two occupants of a truck. Three were seriously injured, suffering broken limbs and abrasions of the neck and shoulders. Among the casualties were two soldiers and two foreign nationals.

None of the casualties suffered cardiac arrest or were rendered unconscious. Injured personnel were moved to nearby hospitals, including the Armed Forces Capital Hospital, for treatment.

Damage to civilian structures includes five houses, a church, a warehouse and a greenhouse. As the ordnance struck the village, multiple residents were displaced, and the number of casualties increased from seven to 15 over the course of the day.

The incident was first reported at around 10:05 a.m., when up to 18 calls were made to the local fire authorities of an “artillery shell” strike, according to Gyeonggi Bukbu Fire Services.

The misfire happened during a preliminary drill, the first live-fire joint combined military exercise of this year between South Korea and the United States at the Seungjin Firing Range in Pocheon, leading up to the 2025 Freedom Shield military exercise, which kicks off next Monday.

An emergency worker is seen at a severely damaged home after eight bombs fell over Pocheon, Gyeonggi, during a Korean Air Force live-fire exercise on March 6. [NEWS1]

The South Korean Air Force said on Thursday that KF-16 fighter jets abnormally released eight MK-82 bombs which landed outside the training range in Pocheon. The notice — which came nearly two hours after the bombing — said the ordnances were released around 10:07 a.m., which is two minutes after local news outlets said the original reports of the explosions were made.

The Air Force later said the bombs were dropped at 10:04 a.m. and specified that it was two KF-16 jets that dropped the ordnances.

A total of two KF-16 fighters were flying alongside F-35A, F-15K and FA-50 fighters. The KF-16 fighters were armed with four bombs each, and both dropped the explosives on the wrong location.

The MK-82 bomb — weighing around 230 kilograms (507 pounds) — is used to destroy buildings or bridges and is capable of leaving a crater 2.4 meters deep and 8 meters wide. The kill range of the ordnance is that of one-third an average football field, ranging about 2,400 square meters.

The shrapnel of the bomb can reach 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) radius in open land.

A person in military uniform is seen at a severely damaged home after eight bombs fell over Pocheon, Gyeonggi, during a Korean Air Force live-fire exercise on March 6. [YONHAP]

An Air Force official said that “the pilot mistakenly entered the wrong coordinates during flight preparation, as confirmed through the pilot’s testimony and other sources” adding that pilots not only enter the designated coordinates but also “visually verify” the target.

“There are procedures in place to confirm coordinates both on the ground and in the air,” said a Joint Chiefs of Staff official. “It appears that an error occurred in this process.”

“Additionally, there is a protocol requiring final verification before releasing ordnance from the air.”

Military personnel inspect the scene of the accidental bombing in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on March. 6. [NEWS1]

Regarding as to why both KF-16 fighter jets misfired, a Ministry of National Defense official said that while the lead aircraft entered the wrong coordinates, the Air Force has to “conduct further verification” as to why the second aircraft also misfired the weapons.

The Air Force apologized for the damage to civilians, “wishing for a swift recovery” of those affected.

The Air Force has formed an accident countermeasure committee, led by Vice Chief of Staff Park Ki-wan, to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident and assess the damage.

F-15K fighter jets are seen dropping bombs during a live-fire exercise in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on March. 6. [NEWS1]

Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyeon also offered condolences to residents of the area, and requested a complete stop to the military exercise until a suitable response measures that the people of Pocheon can accept are decided.

“All of the church windows shattered along with a horrendous noise,” 66-year-old pastor Kim Jong-moon said to JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of Korea JoongAng Daily. “I was not hurt because I was about 100 meters (328 feet) away.

“Since we are not on the greatest terms with North Korea right now, I thought war had broken out.”

Windows lay shattered after a bomb fell on Pocheon, Gyeonggi, after the ordnance was misfired on March. 6. [NEWS1]

Fire authorities sent 78 rescue personnel and 30 pieces of equipment to the scene, upon which an unexploded bomb was found at the explosion site leading some-50 residents of Pocheon to be evacuated. The military dispatched an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit to dismantle the remaining bomb.

The Air Force said there were no remaining unexploded bombs as of 5 p.m.

The Defense Ministry said all live-fire exercises will be halted until there is a “full explanation” for the accidental bombing.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]