South Korea has suspended air force training flights and all live-fire drills following the accidental bombing of a civilian area by its fighter jets. The incident occurred during a joint training exercise with the US military, which was set to begin on Monday.
Two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped four bombs each on a residential area in Pocheon, injuring nearly 30 people, including two seriously. The incident has sparked intense public criticism and raised concerns about the safety of the upcoming Freedom Shield command post exercise with the US.
The military said it would continue to proceed with the Freedom Shield training as scheduled, but halted all live-fire exercises across South Korea. Officials plan to restart paused training once they determine the cause of the bombing and implement preventative measures.
Experts say the suspension of flight training could hinder the effectiveness of the exercise, particularly in examining the operational plans of the two countries’ air forces. The incident highlights concerns about North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia and its fiery rhetoric against the US and South Korea.
The Freedom Shield exercise is the first major joint training since President Trump returned to office in January, and it comes amid growing tensions between North Korea and the US. Despite initial concerns that Mr. Trump might scale back US-South Korean military drills, experts say he now understands the importance of the alliance in America’s Indo-Pacific and China policies.
The incident occurred during a live-fire drill involving 16 brigade-level field trainings, which was meant to take place alongside the Freedom Shield exercise. The US military has confirmed that American servicemen were participating in the drill, but no US air force aircraft were involved.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-korea-military-drills-pause-accidental-bombing-exercises-with-us