Nearly 2 weeks after the mistaken bombing, South Korea resumes live-fire drills, tightens defense cooperation with the Philippines

South Korea will partially resume live-fire military exercises after they were suspended completely following the accidental bombing of a town in Pocheon earlier this month.

Soldiers participate in a rescue operation in a town in Pocheon on March 12, following the mistaken bombing on March 6.

On March 6, two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a town in Pocheon, about 40 kilometers north of Seoul, during live-fire exercises, injuring 38 people. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense immediately suspended all live-fire exercises.

The ministry said on March 18 that it will resume live-fire drills using rifles and smaller weapons at operational units and training camps, except those in Pocheon, after completing a safety assessment of the live-fire training grounds, Yonhap news agency reported.

Other live-fire drills, such as those involving machine guns, tanks and artillery, will be resumed in stages, while drills involving aircraft and those in Pocheon will only take place after the air force takes precautions and the Pocheon area is stabilized.

In another development, on March 17, South Korean officials said that the head of the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Seok Jong-gun, met with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and other officials in Manila to discuss expanding cooperation in the arms industry.

At the meeting, the Philippines introduced many weapons systems produced by Korea over the years, including the FA-50 light attack aircraft, frigates and corvettes.

Mr. Seok Jong-gun also had discussions with the head of the Philippine Navy, Vice Admiral Jose Ma Ambrosio Quiatchon Ezpeleta, in which both sides expressed hope that bilateral cooperation would expand to naval ship maintenance, repair and overhaul projects.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/gan-2-tuan-sau-vu-tha-bom-nham-han-quoc-khoi-phuc-tap-tran-ban-dan-that-set-hop-tac-quoc-phong-voi-philippines-308000.html