Fifteen people were injured in South Korea after two fighter jets mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian area during a live-fire military exercise. The incident, which involved Air Force KF-16 aircraft, occurred around 10:04 AM local time (01:04 GMT) in Pocheon, a city near the North Korean border.

The South Korean Air Force confirmed the mistake, stating that eight MK-82 bombs were dropped outside the designated firing range due to a coordinate error by one of the pilots. Investigations are ongoing, and the military has pledged to provide compensation to those affected. The incident resulted in two serious injuries, including fractures to the neck and shoulders of two victims, while other injuries were less severe. One 60-year-old man, who was driving when the explosion occurred, had shrapnel lodged in his neck.

During a training exercise in #SouthKorea , a KF-16 fighter mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs on a residential area in the city of Pocheon.
Seven people were injured, four of them seriously. Several homes and a church were also damaged. (Pictures/Video courtesy : X)… pic.twitter.com/cfXqH3l9TF

— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) March 6, 2025

In addition to the injuries, several buildings were damaged. A local church suffered a broken window and roof damage, while a nearby senior care center saw its windows shattered, though no elderly residents were injured. The explosion also caused fear among locals, with one resident describing the sound as "like a thunderclap." Fortunately, no unexploded bombs were found after a bomb disposal team was dispatched.

The Air Force has temporarily suspended all live-fire exercises as it investigates the incident, and the military emphasized that it was caused by a misstep during joint drills with US forces. South Korea and the US are set to conduct combined military drills from March 10 to 20, following President Donald Trump's return to the White House.

This is not the first such incident in recent years. During a joint drill in 2022, a malfunctioning missile crashed near a military base, sparking panic among nearby residents. While there were no casualties, the missile's warhead did not detonate but still caused a fire.