Chaos and havoc occurred in South Korea as fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on the civilian area of Pocheon, approximately 25 miles northeast of Seoul, the capital. The event took place on March 6 and left 15 civilians injured. The mishap was the result of fighter jets releasing the MK-82 bombs just outside of their firing range during a joint–live firing exercise with the U.S. military.
The South Korean Air Force issued an apology and wished for a quick recovery for the injured civilians. It offered compensation for the victims and promised to take steps to prevent similar issues in the future.
A 70-year-old witness to the event, Park Seong-sook, thought, “a war ha[d] broken out.” Pocheon mayor, Paek Young-hyun called the bombings “awful” and requested that the South Korean military and their U.S. counterparts cease the live-firing drills, especially in areas surrounding their village. The drill suspension duration has yet to be determined, but it will last at least until an absolute cause of the accident is determined and preliminary action taken.
The disaster response department of Pocheon said that six civilians were hospitalized, along with two soldiers. Of those seriously injured, two were foreigners: one individual from Myanmar and the other from Thailand. Three houses, a greenhouse, and a Catholic Church were damaged but were not directly hit by the bombs, according to Pocheon’s department.
