'Coordinate Error Human Disaster' Absurd Friendly Fire Incident... Air Force Imposes Flight Restrictions on All Aircraft

It is unprecedented for civilians to be injured due to friendly fire by national military fighter jets. Moreover, since the cause was revealed to be a ridiculous ‘coordinate input error’ by a skilled pilot, it seems difficult to avoid legal responsibility in the future. The Air Force has decided to restrict the flights of most aircraft, except for essential forces such as surveillance and reconnaissance missions against North Korea, for the time being.

During the joint US-ROK military exercises held at Pocheon Promotion Training Center, a shell fell on a residential area causing casualties. On March 7, 2025, the joint investigation team conducted an on-site inspection at a residence in Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

According to the Air Force on the 7th, the Air Force Accident Countermeasures Committee, consisting of about 30 members chaired by Deputy Chief of Staff Park Gi-wan, is conducting investigations by visiting the site of the friendly fire accident in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, as well as the units to which the pilots of the involved fighter jets belong. The committee will operate continuously until the investigation is completed. The pilots responsible for the accident have been completely excluded from flight missions.

The Air Force explained the day before that the accident occurred because the fighter pilot mistakenly input the target coordinates. However, doubts remain as the pilot in question was a highly experienced pilot known as a ‘4-aircraft leader,’ capable of commanding four aircraft including his own. The two fighter jets involved in the accident are ‘single-seat’ types, each operated by one pilot, and they fly as a pair. Therefore, it is expected that the circumstances of any communication between the two pilots during the accident will be investigated through voice recording devices.

In this regard, Kim Sun-ho, acting Minister of National Defense, held an emergency countermeasure meeting this morning, which was not previously scheduled, to discuss follow-up measures. Key officials from the Air Force and other related parties attended the meeting.

However, despite this accident, the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint exercise ‘Freedom Shield (FS),’ scheduled to begin on the 10th, will proceed as planned. A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, "Since most of the joint exercises use computer simulations, there is little impact," adding, "Outdoor maneuver exercises will be conducted without live fire, and the units in the Pocheon area will decide accordingly." The U.S. Forces Korea also stated, "The U.S. and South Korean militaries have agreed to suspend all live-fire training," and emphasized, "FS will proceed as scheduled." They further confirmed, "U.S. Air Force aircraft did not participate in this (accident-related) training."

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, said, "I hope the government will do its best to ascertain the facts of the accident, restore damages, and provide compensation, and the military must prepare thorough measures to prevent recurrence." Within the ruling party, there was also a proposal to enact a special law on compensation for civilian damages during military exercises. The Democratic Party of Korea plans to visit the accident site directly in the afternoon with lawmakers from the National Defense Committee to hear the opinions of the affected residents.

Meanwhile, North Korea reacted through a commentary by the Korean Central News Agency on the same day, stating, "It is not unreasonable that the world is watching the Korean Peninsula in March with unprecedented concern and anxiety," and criticized, "(The South Korea-U.S. joint exercises) will soon bring a storm of deteriorating conditions to the Korean Peninsula." It added, "Response is inevitable," and recalled the statement by Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of the Workers' Party, on the 4th, saying, "We clearly stated that we have no choice but to renew records in exercising strategic deterrence," effectively signaling a provocation.