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| A US F-16 fighter jet releases flares during a joint gunnery exercise at a military firing range in Pocheon, near the heavily-fortified border with North Korea, on March 6, 2025. [gettyimages] |
A military training exercise turned disastrous on Thursday when two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped eight 500-pound MK-82 bombs on a civilian district in Pocheon, a city near the North Korean border. The incident left 15 people injured, including two with serious injuries, and caused significant damage to homes and a Catholic church.
According to South Korea’s Air Force, the accident occurred when one of the pilots mistakenly entered incorrect coordinates, causing the bombs to be released outside the designated training range. The bombs, meant for a controlled military exercise, instead exploded in a residential area, leaving destruction in their wake. Security footage captured the moment of the blasts, showing a pickup truck driving through the area before being engulfed in an explosion.
A local resident described the chaos, saying, “There was a sudden loud roar of a fighter jet, then an explosion rang out. When I got to the scene, I saw houses completely destroyed, people injured—some trapped in their vehicles.” Another witness recalled how the explosion shattered windows at a nearby senior citizen care center, leaving staff and elderly residents shaken.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, providing medical aid to those affected. Among the injured, one individual suffered shrapnel wounds to the neck while another sustained fractures to their neck and shoulder. The Air Force quickly issued an apology, expressing regret for the accident and vowing to compensate those impacted.
Following the incident, the military announced an immediate suspension of all live-fire exercises across South Korea until a thorough investigation is completed. Officials aim to determine the exact cause of the mishap and implement measures to prevent a recurrence. However, the broader Freedom Shield joint military exercises with the United States, scheduled to run from March 10 to 20, are still set to proceed as planned.
For years, residents of Pocheon have raised concerns about the dangers posed by military exercises near civilian areas. Mayor Baek Young-hyun called the bombing “unthinkable” and urged the government and military to take stronger safety measures to prevent further harm to residents.
Photographs from the site show collapsed buildings, shattered glass, and debris-strewn streets. The affected community is now left to rebuild as authorities work to ensure accountability and prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
As investigations continue, the focus remains on addressing the safety concerns of civilians living near military training zones while ensuring South Korea’s defense readiness against regional threats.