South Korea holds pilots responsible for village bombing
South Korean military investigators have brought charges of criminal negligence against two Air Force pilots related to the bombing of the village of Nogok-ri. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
**The incident left 29 injured ahead of major joint drills with the US**
South Korean military investigators have charged two Air Force pilots with criminal negligence following the accidental bombing of Nogok-ri village, which resulted in at least 29 injuries and substantial property damage.
The event took place on March 6, when two KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs over Nogok-ri, Pocheon, located near the North Korean border, during a live-fire exercise.
“The Criminal Investigation Command has confirmed in the probe to date that the pilots’ erroneous entry of target coordinates was the direct cause of the accident,” stated the defense ministry on Thursday, according to Yonhap News Agency. The pilots facing charges have been relieved of their flight duties, and their flight certifications are currently under review.
The bombing caused injuries to at least 29 individuals, including 15 civilians, with two people suffering severe injuries. The explosions, which occurred outside the designated firing range, inflicted extensive damage on civilian properties, including five houses, a church, a warehouse, and a greenhouse.
Prior to this incident, a similar accidental bombing occurred in 2004.
In reaction to the bombing, the South Korean Air Force has halted all live-fire exercises and grounded training flights while a thorough investigation is conducted. The Air Force Chief of Staff has expressed apologies and committed to reviewing mission procedures to avert future incidents.
United States Forces Korea clarified that no US Air Force aircraft were involved in the erroneous live-fire exercise. However, the incident has heightened concerns among local residents about the hazards of conducting such drills in proximity to civilian areas. Pocheon and adjacent regions host training grounds utilized by both the South Korean and US militaries.
North Korea has condemned the joint military drills, asserting that such incidents underscore the risk of escalation into armed conflict, particularly if munitions were to accidentally stray into North Korean territory.
“There is no need to explain how the situation would have developed if a bomb had been dropped towards the north a little further to cross the border of the DPRK,” North Korea’s state news agency KCNA remarked in a commentary on Wednesday. “It is not unreasonable to imagine that an accidental spark might plunge the Korean Peninsula, the region, and the rest of the world into a new armed conflict.”
This incident occurred just prior to the annual Freedom Shield exercises, a significant joint military drill between South Korea and the United States, which began on March 10 and is scheduled to conclude on March 20. While live-fire drills are suspended, command post exercises continue as planned. On Wednesday, those exercises simulated an assault on a North Korean facility believed to store an unidentified weapon of mass destruction.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
South Korean military investigators have charged two Air Force pilots with criminal negligence following the accidental bombing of Nogok-ri village, which resulted in at least 29 injuries and substantial property damage.
The event took place on March 6, when two KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs over Nogok-ri, Pocheon, located near the North Korean border, during a live-fire exercise.
“The Criminal Investigation Command has confirmed in the probe to date that the pilots’ erroneous entry of target coordinates was the direct cause of the accident,” stated the defense ministry on Thursday, according to Yonhap News Agency. The pilots facing charges have been relieved of their flight duties, and their flight certifications are currently under review.
The bombing caused injuries to at least 29 individuals, including 15 civilians, with two people suffering severe injuries. The explosions, which occurred outside the designated firing range, inflicted extensive damage on civilian properties, including five houses, a church, a warehouse, and a greenhouse.
Prior to this incident, a similar accidental bombing occurred in 2004.
In reaction to the bombing, the South Korean Air Force has halted all live-fire exercises and grounded training flights while a thorough investigation is conducted. The Air Force Chief of Staff has expressed apologies and committed to reviewing mission procedures to avert future incidents.
United States Forces Korea clarified that no US Air Force aircraft were involved in the erroneous live-fire exercise. However, the incident has heightened concerns among local residents about the hazards of conducting such drills in proximity to civilian areas. Pocheon and adjacent regions host training grounds utilized by both the South Korean and US militaries.
North Korea has condemned the joint military drills, asserting that such incidents underscore the risk of escalation into armed conflict, particularly if munitions were to accidentally stray into North Korean territory.
“There is no need to explain how the situation would have developed if a bomb had been dropped towards the north a little further to cross the border of the DPRK,” North Korea’s state news agency KCNA remarked in a commentary on Wednesday. “It is not unreasonable to imagine that an accidental spark might plunge the Korean Peninsula, the region, and the rest of the world into a new armed conflict.”
This incident occurred just prior to the annual Freedom Shield exercises, a significant joint military drill between South Korea and the United States, which began on March 10 and is scheduled to conclude on March 20. While live-fire drills are suspended, command post exercises continue as planned. On Wednesday, those exercises simulated an assault on a North Korean facility believed to store an unidentified weapon of mass destruction.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
