2 Air Force pilots suspended from air duty for 1 yr after accidental bombing of civilian area
The Air Force on Friday suspended two pilots from air duty for one year after they mistakenly dropped multiple bombs on a civilian village earlier this month, injuring dozens of residents.
On March 6, two KF-16 fighter jets dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, during live-fire drills, injuring 52 people, including 38 civilians.
The Air Force has booked the two pilots on charges of negligence resulting in injury, and conducted a qualification review of the two pilots. Under the disciplinary review process, a person responsible for misconduct can face penalties ranging from suspension to dismissal.
The suspension was decided as the investigation into the incident is still under way and there will be another qualification review once the defense ministry completes its probe, an Air Force official said.
In the interim probe released earlier this month, the Air Force determined that the pilot's mistake in entering wrong target coordinates was the direct cause of the accidental bombing.
The Air Force has dismissed two unit commanders over their failure to give specific instructions to their subordinates. (Yonhap)
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