Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during a training exercise on Thursday, injuring at least eight people and damaging buildings in Pocheon, a city near the North Korean border. Some reports put the number of injured as high as 15.
The South Korean Air Force confirmed that the 500-pound MK-82 bombs, released by KF-16 fighter jets, fell outside the designated firing range during a joint live-fire drill with the U.S. military.
Footage has now been released which appears to show yesterday’s “accidental bombing” in South Korea, in which an ROKAF KF-16 Multirole Fighter dropped 8 Mk-82 500lb Bombs on the Town of Dong-myeon in the Gyeonggi Province, during a Live-Fire Exercise with the U.S. Air Force. pic.twitter.com/txb43krnoi
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 6, 2025
Pocheon’s disaster response center reported that six civilians and two soldiers were among the injured, with four civilians in serious condition. Two of the seriously injured victims were foreigners, one from Thailand and another from Myanmar.
The accident also damaged several houses, a Catholic church, and a greenhouse, according to reports.
🚨BREAKING South Korea KF-16 jets accidentally dropped MK-82 bombs on Pocheon during a US drill, injuring 15 & damaging homes. Pilot error suspected in this rare mishap near the NK border. Investigation underway! #SouthKorea #MilitaryNews pic.twitter.com/6Wvd1NvVg3
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) March 6, 2025
In a statement, the Air Force apologized for the accident and pledged compensation for affected residents. An Air Force official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told local reporters that a pilot had mistakenly entered incorrect coordinates for the bombing site.
In a televised briefing, Pocheon Mayor Paek Young-hyun called the incident “awful” and demanded that military drills in the city be halted until new safety measures are established.
“Pocheon provides three major firing ranges for the South Korean and U.S. militaries, and we need to ensure such an accident never happens again,” Paek said.
The Air Force said that a committee would investigate the incident and assess the full extent of civilian damage before determining further actions.
Following the incident, the South Korean military announced that it was suspending all live-fire drills across the country.
