--- title: "South Korean F-16s Just Bombed A Town By Accident" description: "Eight 500-pound Mk 82 bombs detonated in a South Korean village located just 20 miles away from the border with North Korea. Eight 500-pound bombs detonated in a South Korean village located just 20 miles away from the border with North Korea." date: "2025-03-06" modified: "2025-03-06" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/south-korean-f-16s-just-bombed-a-town-by-accident" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "F-16" - "Fighters" - "Indo-Pacific" - "News & Features" - "Republic of Korea Air Force" - "South Korea" tags: - "Accident" - "adsafety" --- # South Korean F-16s Just Bombed A Town By Accident ![F-16 Fighting Falcons from Kunsan Air Base and South Korean KF-16s taxi to the runway together during Exercise Buddy Wing 14-8 at Seosan Air Base, Republic of Korea Aug. 21, 2014. The purpose of the exercise was not only to improve interoperability between U.S. Air Force and ROKAF fighter squadrons, but to practice with ROKAF KF-16 units for their first upcoming RED FLAG exercise in Alaska.]() *U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Curry/Released* A pair of [F-16 fighters]() operated by the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) accidentally bombed a civilian area during a live-fire military exercise today. The incident took place ahead of large-scale joint maneuvers with U.S. forces in South Korea, the first of their kind since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House. https://www.twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1897535062251368897 https://twitter.com/korearamyun/status/1897510798689292503 https://twitter.com/chosin1st/status/1897501409257644494 https://www.twitter.com/VOANews/status/1897671009513427378 At 10:04 a.m. local time this morning, two ROKAF F-16s dropped eight 500-pound Mk 82 bombs, all of which detonated. The point of impact was the city of Pocheon, around 20 miles south of the heavily militarized border with North Korea and 25 miles north of the South Korean capital, Seoul. It seems the intended target was the Seungjin Fire Training Field close to Pocheon, which today hosted a live-fire exercise involving [K2 tanks](), [K55A1]() self-propelled howitzers, [AH-64]() attack helicopters, and [F-35A]() stealth fighters. ![ANKARA, TURKIYE - MARCH 6: An infographic titled "South Korean fighter jets accidentally drop eight bombs on civilian district" created in Ankara, Turkiye on March 6, 2025. (Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)]() *An infographic showing the approximate location of Pocheon in South Korea. *Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images* Anadolu* https://www.twitter.com/clashreport/status/1897481535051141204 https://www.twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1897482641953190362 “Our KF-16s abnormally dropped eight shells of Mk 82 bombs. They landed outside of the firing range,” the ROKAF said in a [statement]() to the *BBC*. KF-16 is the designation for F-16C/Ds assembled locally in South Korea but is sometimes used generically for the entire ROKAF Viper fleet. These are the most numerous fighters in the South Korean air force, with a total of 180 having been acquired in both Block 30 and Block 52 versions. Around 130 of the jets are being upgraded to [F-16V standard](). ![]() *ROKAF F-16s drop freefall bombs during an earlier live-fire exercise. *Republic of Korea Armed Forces** Initial [reports]() indicate that 15 people were injured in the incident. Local media say that two of those are now in a serious condition, with fractures to their necks and shoulders. According to the *Yonhap* news agency, a 60-year-old who had been driving at the time of the incident was left with shrapnel lodged in their neck. There was also extensive damage to buildings in the area, including a church and houses. “There was a sudden loud roar of a fighter jet, then an explosion rang out. When I went to the scene, there were about four houses that were halved from the damage, people hurt,” Oh Moung-su, a 65-year-old resident, told *Reuters*. “Dusk and smoke rose into the sky, water gushed out of a pipe. People in a vehicle going to a construction site were injured — some of them couldn’t even get out of the car. Another was outside the car covering his eye.” ![]() *A closer view of the location of the incident in relation to the North Korean border to the north and Seoul to the south. *Google Earth** At this stage, it’s unclear why the bombs were dropped here, although a *Reuters* [report](), citing the country’s military, suggests that one of the pilots entered the incorrect coordinates. It was yet to be determined why the second fighter dropped its bombs, the military said, but confirmed that all live-fire exercises had been suspended for the time being. The ROKAF says it is investigating what happened and will pay compensation to those affected. ![]() *A bunker buster Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is loaded onto a ROKAF F-16 during previous live-fire maneuvers. *Republic of Korea Armed Forces* BOHYUN PYUN* The maneuvers today occurred ahead of planned combined drills involving South Korea and the United States, known as Freedom Shield. These are the first of their kind under the new Trump administration and are due to run from March 10 to 20. South Korean military officials say today’s incident will not affect this schedule. All of this comes at a time when South Korea and the United States are increasingly concerned about the [deepening military alliance]() between North Korea and Russia. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, North Korea has emerged as a key backer for Moscow, [providing troops]() as well as millions of rounds of [ammunition]() and other [weaponry](). According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Freedom Shield drills will reflect “lessons learned from recent armed conflicts” and North Korea’s expanding partnership with Russia. ![POHANG, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 06: U.S. Marines from 3rd Marine Expeditionary force deployed from Okinawa, Japan, participate in the joint combat training with South Korean soldiers on July 6, 2016 in Pohang, South Korea. The Korean peninsula is the world's last Cold War frontier as stalinist North Korea and pro-western South Korea have been technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)]() *U.S. Marines from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary force, who deployed from Okinawa, Japan, participate in joint combat training with South Korean soldiers in Pohang, South Korea, in 2016. *Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images* Chung Sung-Jun* Incidents involving live-fire exercises in South Korea are also not unheard of. During a joint U.S.-South Korea drill in 2022, a short-range ballistic missile [was launched and malfunctioned](), crashing into a golf course at a military base. The warhead didn’t detonate, but there was a significant fire. On other occasions, stray munitions have landed near civilian residences in South Korea but have rarely caused injuries. In 2004, a ROKAF F-5B [mistakenly released]() a practice bomb over Boryeong, 85 miles south of Seoul, but no one was harmed. In this latest case, it is especially alarming since these were live weapons — a full 4,000 pounds nominal weight in total — that detonated in a city with a population of around 140,000. There is also the fact that this occurred in close proximity to the North Korean border. Certainly, the results could have been much worse in terms of both civilian casualties and repercussions. While the South Korean military insists that today’s incident will not affect the Freedom Shield drills, it will undoubtedly raise questions about the relative safety of live-fire exercises on the peninsula. In that sense, the timing is especially unfortunate for Seoul, as it prepares to begin the first large-scale joint maneuvers with the U.S. military under the new Trump administration, at a time of raised tensions with the North. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()