Incident raises concerns ahead of joint military drills with the U.S.
South Korea has halted all Air Force training flights and live-fire drills after two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area near the border with North Korea, injuring nearly 30 people, officials said Friday.
The mishap occurred Thursday in Pocheon, during a live-fire exercise linked to the upcoming Freedom Shield military drills with the United States. The annual joint training, set to begin Monday, marks the first major exercise between the allies since Donald Trump returned to office in January.
Military response and investigation underway
Following the incident, both South Korea and the U.S. suspended all live-fire exercises across South Korea. The South Korean Air Force also grounded all aircraft except surveillance and emergency response planes.
Officials confirmed that the Freedom Shield training will proceed as planned, but the resumption of live-fire drills will depend on the findings of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the bombing. If flight training does not resume by Monday, experts warn it could disrupt the early phases of the exercise.
Potential impact on U.S.-South Korea military cooperation
Defense analysts stress that grounding fighter jets could pose a major setback to the military drill’s effectiveness. Lee Illwoo, a defense expert, said suspending flight training “creates serious challenges” in assessing air combat readiness, reinforcement strategies, and operational plans.
Investigations revealed that the pilot of one KF-16 mistakenly entered incorrect coordinates for the bombing target. The two pilots involved each had between 200-400 flight hours, suggesting they had been flying KF-16s for only two to three years.
U.S. Military pledges cooperation
Colonel Ryan Donald, a U.S. military spokesperson in South Korea, confirmed that American troops were involved in Thursday’s live-fire drill but emphasized that no U.S. Air Force aircraft took part in the bombing.
“We take this incident very seriously and are coordinating closely with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Defense for a full and transparent investigation,” Donald said in a statement.
North Korea’s reaction and geopolitical tensions
The incident comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea, which views joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises as invasion rehearsals. Pyongyang’s state media warned Friday that the two allies “will pay dearly for their reckless war drills.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has signaled interest in reviving diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, though North Korea has yet to respond. There are concerns in South Korea that Trump might scale back military drills, given his past complaints about their cost and his decision to cancel an exercise after his 2018 summit with Kim.
However, analysts believe Trump now recognizes South Korea’s role in U.S. Indo-Pacific and China strategy and is unlikely to reduce military cooperation.
This year’s Freedom Shield drills will be larger than last year’s, with 16 brigade-level field exercises, up from 10 in 2024, according to South Korea’s military.