Air Force: "8 Bombs Abnormally Dropped During KF-16 Training... Apologies for Damage" (Comprehensive)

Detailed Circumstances Under Investigation
Vice Chief of Staff Park Forms Countermeasure Committee

During a combined live-fire exercise between South Korea and the United States, a ground-attack bomb was mistakenly dropped by a South Korean Air Force fighter jet, resulting in 7 civilians sustaining serious and minor injuries. The Air Force expressed regret and stated that it would actively implement all necessary measures, including compensation for damages.

The Air Force announced that at around 10:04 a.m. on the 6th, during training in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, a KF-16 accidentally dropped eight MK-82 general-purpose bombs abnormally, which fell outside the firing range.

Yonhap News

The abnormally dropped bombs landed near Nangyudaegyo Bridge in Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. As a result of the accident, a total of 7 people were injured, including 4 seriously and 3 with minor injuries. Additionally, one church building and two houses were partially damaged.

On that day, the South Korean and U.S. militaries were conducting the first 'Combined Joint Integrated Fire Live-Fire Exercise' of the year at the Seungjin Science Training Center in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, linked to the 2025 Freedom Shield (FS) exercise. Thirteen 4th and 5th generation fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force, including F-35A, F-15K, KF-16, and FA-50, participated in the exercise. Among the participating fighter jets, the F-15K, KF-16, and FA-50 were equipped with two types of ground-attack bombs: MK-82 and MK-84.

A total of five KF-16s participated, flying in formations of two or three aircraft. In one formation consisting of two aircraft, each aircraft abnormally dropped four MK-82 bombs. The MK-82 is a bomb typically used for destroying buildings and bridges. It creates an explosion crater 8 meters in diameter and 2.4 meters deep, with the lethal radius of one bomb covering an area roughly the size of a soccer field (105×68 meters).

The exact cause of the abnormal bomb release and the detailed trajectory and impact locations of the eight dropped bombs have not yet been disclosed. Unexploded ordnance removal operations were conducted at the actual site. An Air Force official said, "The detailed circumstances are currently under investigation," and refrained from further comment.

Meanwhile, the Air Force has formed an accident response committee chaired by Vice Chief of Staff Park Ki-wan as of that day to investigate the precise cause of the accident and the extent of the damage. The Air Force expressed, "We deeply regret the civilian damage caused by the abnormal bomb release accident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," adding, "We will actively implement all necessary measures, including compensation for damages."