Mayor Baek Young-hyun: "The Site Resembles a Chaotic Battlefield, Military Training Must Be Halted"

Pocheon City Activates Disaster Situation Countermeasures Headquarters for Bomb Accident
15 Injured... Mayor Baek Younghyun and Officials Respond On-Site
Mayor Baek: "We Will Mobilize All Administrative Resources and Do Our Best to Manage the Aftermath"

Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Young-hyun) announced that it has established a Disaster Situation Countermeasures Headquarters at Pocheon City Hall and is making every effort to manage the aftermath of the abnormal military bomb drop accident that occurred in Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon on the morning of the 6th.

On the morning of the 6th, during the combined Korea-US live-fire exercise, an object presumed to be a shell fell on a private house in Idong-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, causing damage to the house. Photo by Yonhap News.

The accident occurred around 10 a.m. on the 6th near 921-2 Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon City. During the ROK-US joint training, bombs were abnormally dropped from a fighter jet, resulting in multiple serious and minor injuries.

The accident caused 15 serious and minor injuries, as well as property damage including water supply facilities, two houses, a church, a 1-ton truck, and vinyl greenhouses.

At the accident site, Mayor Baek Young-hyun of Pocheon discussed countermeasures with Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Administration 2, Oh Soo-seok, Pocheon Fire Station Chief Lee Byung-woo, military officials, and others.

Subsequently, an integrated on-site command post involving the military, police, and local government officials was established. The site is currently under control to preserve the accident scene and conduct rescue operations.

Pocheon City immediately cooperated with related organizations to set up the Disaster Situation Countermeasures Headquarters and is fully committed to managing the damage and recovery efforts.

The seriously and minor injured are being treated at Pocheon Medical Center, Woori Hospital, and St. Mary’s Hospital, among others. City officials dispatched to the hospitals are monitoring the situation through one-on-one matching. A temporary shelter has been set up at the Nogok 2-ri Senior Citizens’ Center.

Mayor Baek Young-hyun of Pocheon said, “During the ROK-US joint firing training at Seungjin Science Training Ground, bombs fell on residential areas, causing serious injuries to innocent citizens,” adding, “A terrible accident occurred with several houses and vehicles damaged.”

Mayor Baek continued, “The accident site where the bombs fell turned into a chaotic scene resembling a battlefield,” and emphasized, “The government and military authorities should completely halt military training.”

He also stressed, “We will prioritize the lives and safety of citizens and mobilize all administrative resources to do our best in managing and supporting the accident aftermath,” and “We will closely cooperate with related organizations to ensure residents can quickly return to their daily lives.”