South Korean Fighter Jets Accidentally Drop Eight Bombs, 8 Injured- wna24

Seoul: Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during a joint live-fire exercise with the US military on Thursday, injuring eight people, air force officials said.

The MK-82 bombs released by KF-16 fighter jets landed outside a firing range, according to the air force. It apologized, wished for the injured’s swift recovery, and promised compensation and further action.

Three houses, a Catholic church and a greenhouse were partially damaged but they did not appear to have been directly hit by the bombs, according to the department.

The air force official said a committee would investigate the accident and examine the scale of the damage inflicted.

An anonymous air force official revealed that one of the KF-16 pilots mistakenly entered incorrect coordinates for the bombing site. A Defense Ministry official said that an investigation is underway to understand why the second KF-16 also dropped bombs in a civilian area.

The air force said the fighter jets were taking part in the one-day firing drill with the US military in Pocheon, a city close to the heavily armed border with North Korea.

In a televised briefing, Pocheon Mayor Paek Young-hyun called the bombings “awful” and urged the military to halt drills in the city until it formulates reliable steps that can prevent a recurrence. He said that Pocheon, a city of 140,000 people, provides three major firing ranges for the South Korean and US militaries.

The military later confirmed that it has decided to suspend all live-fire drills across South Korea.

It’s unclear how long the suspension of the live-fire drill would last, but observers said it would likely be until the military determines the cause of Thursday’s accident and maps out preventative steps.

The accident came just before the South Korean and US militaries announced they will begin large-scale annual military drills next Monday.