South Korea military drills pause after accidental bombing may hinder upcoming exercises with U.S., experts say
CBSN
Seoul, South Korea — South Korea suspended the training flights of air force aircraft and all live-fire drills following its fighter jets' accidental bombing of a civilian area, officials said Friday, posing a potential setback to its upcoming annual military training with the United States.
On Thursday, two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly released four MK-82 bombs each on a civilian area in Pocheon, a city near the tense border with North Korea. The bombing, which injured nearly 30 people, two of them seriously, occurred when South Korean and U.S. forces were engaging in a live-fire drill in connection with their broader Freedom Shield command post exercise set to begin Monday.
This year's Freedom Shield exercise is the allies' first major joint training since President Trump returned to office in January and comes amid concerns about North Korea's booming military cooperation with Russia.
