Ministry of National Defense Establishes Task Force for 'Fighter Jet Friendly Fire' Incident... Total Injured Rise to 29

by Son Seonhee

Published 07 Mar.2025 15:17(KST)

On the 7th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it has established an Accident Countermeasures Headquarters, led by Acting Minister Kim Seon-ho, in response to the accidental bombing incident involving an Air Force fighter jet that occurred on the 6th.

During the joint US-ROK military exercises held at Pocheon Promotion Training Center, a shell landed in a residential area causing casualties. On March 7, 2025, the joint investigation team conducted an on-site inspection at a residence in Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

In a statement released that day, Acting Minister Kim said, "I sincerely apologize to the residents affected by this accident," and added, "The military will concentrate all its capabilities to restore normalcy as quickly as possible through damage recovery and compensation." He further stated, "We will conduct a thorough investigation to clearly identify the cause of the accident and will take all necessary measures and countermeasures to prevent recurrence."

Acting Minister Kim ordered the establishment of the Accident Countermeasures Headquarters the previous day and held the first meeting around 6 p.m. He then held a second meeting in the morning with key officials including the Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force, the Medical Corps, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During the meeting, Acting Minister Kim reorganized the Accident Countermeasures Headquarters established in the Army and Air Force into a subordinate committee under the Ministry of National Defense's Accident Countermeasures Headquarters. Additionally, to support affected residents, a Field Control Support Headquarters was set up in the accident site area of Nogok-ri, Pocheon.

The issue of compensation for the citizens affected by this accidental bombing is also scheduled to be discussed. A military official stated, "We have formed and are operating a 'Damage Compensation Field Response Team' composed of the Ministry of National Defense Legal Affairs Office, the Air Force Headquarters, and the 5th Corps Legal Team," and added, "We plan to collect residents' opinions on compensation and provide guidance on procedures and methods for damage compensation under the State Compensation Act."

Regarding this, the military announced that the total number of injured from the fighter jet accidental bombing incident is 29, an increase from the 15 reported the previous day. Among them, 15 are civilians and 14 are military personnel. Among the civilians, two are seriously injured, and some are known to be foreigners.

The military deployed about 150 soldiers to the site to assist with debris collection and cleanup in the affected area. They are also conducting on-site damage investigations in cooperation with Pocheon City and plan to establish and operate an integrated safety inspection team with Gyeonggi Province.