South Korea grounds nearly all fighter aircraft after accidental bombing

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea's Air Force grounded nearly all of its aircraft Friday after two fighter jets accidentally bombed a village in a northern city.

Two KF-16 fighter jets "abnormally" dropped eight MK-82 bombs on Thursday outside the designated training range in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the capital Seoul, said the country’s Defense Ministry, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.

At least 29 people were injured in the incident, including 15 civilians and 14 military personnel, two of whom were critically injured.
In response, South Korea’s Air Force imposed flight restrictions on all its aircraft, except for reconnaissance missions and emergency standby, an Air Force official said.

The flight restrictions are expected to remain in place until an investigation determines the cause of the accidental bombing, the official said, noting that the results are not anticipated to take long.

The development comes after Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho apologized for the incident, pledging to make every effort to restore the damaged property and provide compensation.

Pilot error is believed to have caused the accidental bombing as, according to another Air Force official, one of the pilots entered incorrect target coordinates before takeoff.

The military has suspended all live-fire training until the exact cause of the accident is determined.