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South Korea’s Air Force disclosed on Thursday, March 6, 2025, that a military aircraft inadvertently discharged eight bombs during a training maneuver, striking an unintended location and inflicting injuries upon civilians—a grave operational lapse that has reverberated across the peninsula.
According to the Air Force, a KF-16 fighter jet unleashed eight MK-82 multipurpose ordnances, which deviated from their prescribed trajectory and landed beyond the boundaries of the allocated firing zone, an anomaly that confounded the exercise’s intent.
The mishap transpired at approximately 10:00 local time (0100 GMT) in Pocheon, a region situated some 25 kilometers south of the fortified frontier with nuclear-equipped North Korea, amplifying the incident’s geopolitical sensitivity given its proximity to the tense divide.
In an official communique, the Air Force conveyed profound contrition for the errant bombardment that caused civilian harm, extending hopes for the expeditious recuperation of those affected—a statement imbued with a rare acknowledgment of accountability.
The military branch announced the formation of a dedicated investigative panel to dissect the circumstances surrounding the error, pledging to implement comprehensive remedial actions, including reparations for the resultant damages.
The Air Force elucidated that the jet had been engaged in a coordinated live-fire drill alongside Army units, a collaborative endeavor designed to hone operational precision—rendering the unintended outcome all the more striking in its divergence from protocol.
South Korea was holding combined live-fire drills with the United States Thursday in Pocheon, the Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea’s National Fire Agency said that the bombs were “presumed to have fallen on a village during a South Korea-US joint exercise.”
This resulted in “casualties and property damage, with many displaced residents,” it said, adding that four people had been seriously injured and three suffered minor injuries.
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The South Korean Air Force reported that the errant release of eight MK-82 bombs during a training exercise on Thursday, March 6, 2025, inflicted structural harm upon a church edifice and portions of two residential dwellings in Pocheon—a tangible toll underscoring the incident’s disruptive reach.
A resident of the area, identified solely by his family name Park, recounted to Yonhap News Agency his experience of the calamity, noting that he had been indoors engrossed in a television broadcast when a seismic detonation, akin to a tempest’s roar, jolted his home, propelling him outdoors to witness a scene of profound disarray.
Park described the moment as one of abrupt upheaval, with the concussive force reverberating through his dwelling, a visceral testament to the blast’s potency that left an indelible mark on the community.
The repercussions of the misadventure extended even to a senior care facility situated approximately one kilometer from the impact zone, where occupants registered the shockwave’s distant yet perceptible echo, amplifying the incident’s breadth across the region.
