South Korea has suspended some of its military drills following an accidental bombing that injured nearly 30 people in a civilian area. The incident occurred during live-fire exercises with the US military, which is set to begin on Monday as part of the annual Freedom Shield exercise.
The incident happened when two South Korean fighter jets mistakenly released bombs on a civilian area near the North Korean border. Military officials say the air force has stopped flight training for most aircraft except surveillance planes and those needed for emergency situations.
While the military says the Freedom Shield training will proceed as scheduled, the suspension of flight training may cause issues with operational planning and capability assessment. Experts say flying warplanes is crucial to determining actual capabilities and discussing reinforcement plans.
Initial investigations found that the pilot entered incorrect coordinates, and officials say they likely piloted jet only a few years ago. The incident has drawn criticism in South Korea, with concerns about North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia.
The US and South Korean militaries have already begun field exercises as part of Freedom Shield, but live-fire training was halted after the incident. The US spokesperson confirmed that American servicemen were participating in Thursday’s live-fire training but no US air force aircraft was involved.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-fighter-jets-accidental-bombing-us-drills-6c9b9aa634ca7a34c813b9b8b3e64191