Report: South Korean Fighter Jets Mistakenly Bomb Civilian Area
Eight injured following a joint live-fire drill with the U.S. military.
The KF-16 is a South Korean variant of General Dynamics’ F-16 Fighting Falcon. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]
Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped several bombs on a civilian area in Pocheon, South Korea, injuring eight people on Thursday.
According to an Associated Press report, eight MK-82 bombs were released by the KF-16 fighter jets while the aircraft were participating in a one-day joint live-fire drill with the U.S. military. The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) stated that a committee would investigate the incident.
The AP report cited Pocheon’s disaster response department, which said six civilians and two soldiers were hospitalized due to injuries from the bombs. The report also stated that three houses, a church, and a greenhouse were partially damaged—though they did not look to be directly hit by the bombs.
The KF-16 is a South Korean variant of General Dynamics’ F-16 Fighting Falcon. The ROKAF has operated with the fighter since the 1990s.
FLYING reached out to U.S. Forces Korea for comment.
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