South Korea Dismisses Colonel, Deputy Over Accidental KF-16 Bombing

The Korean Air Force has dismissed two senior officials for failing to enforce safety protocols after two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a village in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, injuring 38 people last week.

The Air Force said Tuesday that a colonel and a lieutenant colonel from the unit involved in the incident were removed for "material delinquency of duties" and inadequate oversight during the live-fire drill. The colonel, the unit commander, was accused of delegating safety inspections and failing to review training plans thoroughly. The lieutenant colonel was blamed for insufficiently inspecting the firing missions and not verifying pilots' preparations.

An interim investigation found that an airman in the first jet mistyped coordinates and skipped the initial verification due to a reported printer error. The probe also revealed the pilot falsely claimed to have sighted the target location.

The Air Force said it would assess next week whether the two pilots involved are fit to resume flight duties.

Pocheon city officials reported Tuesday that 24 civilians and 14 soldiers were injured, an increase from the 19 civilian casualties reported the previous day. Seven civilians remain hospitalized. Property damage claims also rose to 166 cases, including 163 damaged buildings and three vehicles.