- The Army of South Korea said that its KF-16s accidentally released eight bombs in a village on Thursday.
- The 500 pound MK-82 bombs injured 15 people in Pocheon, the army said.
- The first military results indicate that a pilot put the bad coordinates for bombing.
South Korea hunter jets accidentally bombed his own civilians during a live shooting exercise on Thursday, the Army of Seoul said.
Around 10 a.m. Thursday, the local time, two KF-16 fighters lost eight MK-82 bombs 500 pounds in the Pocheon village, said the Air Force in South Korea during a briefing.
At least 15 people were injured and several houses were damaged, according to local South Korean media reports.
A spokesman for the South Korean Air Force said that the bombs were “abnormally released” and had fallen out of the live shooting area.
“We are sorry for the damage caused by this accident and wish the injured recovery,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that the first results indicated that one of the pilots had used the wrong coordinates for a bombing.
Pocket, who has A population of around 141,000 inhabitants is northeast of Seoul. About 20 miles from the heavily armed demilitarized area, it is one of the nearest urban centers in the border country with North Korea.
The photos published by the South Korean media showed rural houses with broken windows, a damaged roof and debris strewn in the street. Most of the successful buildings have remained structurally intact.
The MK-82 is an unused general bomb for general use, which means that it can be used for a wide variety of attack missions. The jet that dropped the bombs, the KF-16, is a South Korean version of the American Fight Falcon.
CNN, citing the South Korean air force, reported that the live shooting exercise was linked to Freedom Shield, an annual military exercise with the United States.
It should start this year on March 10 and end on March 20.
businessinsider
