A damaged civilian house after South Korea's Air Force fighter jet accidentally dropped multiple bombs in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday. (Yonhap)
A damaged civilian house after South Korea's Air Force fighter jet accidentally dropped multiple bombs in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday. (Yonhap)

A northern village accidentally bombed by South Korean fighter jets will be designated a special disaster area.

Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok instructed officials on Saturday to "swiftly declare the Pocheon area, which suffered massive damage from an erroneous Air Force bombing, a special disaster area to ensure prompt recovery and support for residents."

On Thursday, two KF-16 fighter jets "abnormally" dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, during live-fire drills. The accident left 29 people, including 15 civilians, injured and damaged multiple buildings.

The official declaration is expected later in the day. (Yonhap)


herald@heraldcorp.com