Fifteen people were seriously injured in a misfire on a fighter jet training in the South Korean Air Force

The Korean system is collapsing.

“I’ve never heard such a sound before,” the villagers said in unison. Eight bombs fell at 10:04 a.m. on March 6 in Nogok 2-ri, a small village in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

It was an air-to-ground bomb dropped by a KF16 fighter jet used for a joint live-fire exercise between South Korea and the U.S. Originally, it had to fall at the “Seungjin Shooting Range” under the jurisdiction of the 5th Corps nearby, but the bomb headed for the village of Aman.

The Ministry of National Defense explained that the accident occurred due to the pilot’s mistake in entering the coordinates. The accident damaged a cathedral building and two private houses in the village.

No one has died in the accident so far as of March 6, but the casualties were not small with two serious injuries and 13 minor injuries.

The place where the bomb fell was roads and farmland in the village, so it did not lead to a bigger catastrophe. If the bomb had fallen 50 meters to the east, a catastrophe that would be difficult to imagine could have occurred.

This is because the Naktan point was at the western edge of the village residential area.

Police, soldiers, civil servants, reporters, and local residents were all gathered near the scene in the afternoon. Police hit the police line and blocked the way to the location of the crash site.

A military vehicle and a SWAT vehicle with “Explosive Disposal” written on it crossed the police line and entered the scene.

Residents living near the crash site had to leave their homes and wait outside the control line.

Traces of the accident remained everywhere outside the control area. A considerable number of houses were damaged a short distance away from the site of the crash.

Residents who escaped the injury said in unison they were surprised by the roar. “I heard the sound of the plane for the last few days, and I’ve never heard such a sound,” said Jeon Jang-gyeong, an 82-year-old villager.

“When I came out, I saw black smoke coming up. At first, I thought the plane had crashed,” he said. Kim Hye-jeong, 58, also said, “It was the roar I’ve never heard in my life. I often practice shooting, but it was different from that.

I thought there was a war, so I grabbed the lady’s hand and dragged her to run away.” Kim’s house was outside the control line, but he couldn’t enter the house until late afternoon.

When asked why he didn’t go back home, Kim replied, “I’m scared to be alone when the neighborhood is all empty.”

Acting Defense Minister Kim Sun-ho, who stood in front of the residents only after 3 p.m., bowed his head late, saying, “I am sorry for an unsavory accident during the training process.

” The head of Nogok 2-ri said, “It’s still cold, so shouldn’t we take measures for the residents who are outside?

The chief of staff said, “I didn’t even meet the residents’ representative even though I was standing next to him, but I only reported to the division commander.”

Inside and outside the village’s senior citizen center, it became a temporary shelter. Some people were unable to return home immediately due to the serious damage.

As the day drew to a close, officials from Gyeonggi Province and Pocheon City explained the situation to the residents gathered at the senior citizen center.

An official from the Gyeonggi Provincial Government said to the residents, “If the county permits access, officials must first enter, check the damaged house, and conduct a safety diagnosis.

” Those who could not return to their homes were assigned temporary accommodation in nearby accommodation facilities.

For the villagers here, which is only 35 kilometers away from the armistice line, the military training itself has been a familiar sight.

However, it wasn’t all that matters. Choi Young-ok (69) and local residents, whom we met at the senior citizen center, called the fighter jets that frequently appeared around the village “Squeak Squeak”. It is the nickname given by the residents.

“When you look at it all the time, the ‘squeak’ sound is too low. The helicopter is not loud, but it makes a lot of noise,” he said, explaining that he was feeling quite anxious.

Already, the risk of accidents caused by military training has been steadily raised among local residents.

Kang Tae-il, chairman of the “Pan-Citizens’ Countermeasures Committee for Military-Related Facilities such as Shooting Range in Pocheon City”, also issued a statement saying, “We strongly demand that future training procedures, equipment inspection, and safety management be thoroughly reviewed, and all shooting drills be immediately stopped.”

Recovery is expected to take a considerable amount of time. “There are several studios that have been rented to migrant workers, but the doors are twisted and the glass is broken, and people cannot enter because of the storm.

I don’t know what to do when the tenants come back from work,” said Yoo Geum-yeol, an 82-year-old villager.

“We confirmed the impact point of all eight shots and there were no unexploded bombs.

We will reprimand the pilots who made the abnormal drop. We will actively implement all necessary measures including compensation for damage.”