‘Talented’ Pocheon misfire… “The Air Force was at fault, but compensation is paid through taxes?”

As the accidental explosion of an Air Force KF-16 fighter jet that occurred in the area of ​​Idong-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 6th was revealed to be a man-made disaster, attention is focused on future compensation measures for the damage. A military legal expert said the state would likely seek compensation from the pilots.

On the 11th, Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province, announced that it would preemptively pay basic disaster income of 1 million won per person to ensure the stability of life and guarantee basic rights of residents affected by the accidental explosion of an Air Force fighter jet. Netizens reacted to this by saying, “The Air Force was at fault, but compensation is through taxes,” and “Why is Pocheon City giving the money? Tell them to give it to the Air Force.”

Earlier, Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Young-soo announced the interim results of the accident at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 10th. At the time, it was confirmed that the pilots of the two fighter jets made a mistake by entering the target coordinates incorrectly and did not properly perform the procedure to recheck the coordinates. In addition, the Air Force was found to have shortcomings in management and supervision, such as the unit commanders, the squadron commander (colonel) and battalion commander (lieutenant colonel), not properly reviewing the work site plan.

As of the 10th, a total of 31 people were injured in the accident, including 19 civilians and 12 soldiers. It was reported that over 150 cases of damage to private homes were also reported.

In response to the unprecedented accidental bombing of a private home by a fighter jet, the government and local governments are specifying compensation plans and procedures. Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyun said on the 7th, "We will set up a reserve fund for damage such as damage to houses and take proactive steps toward recovery," and added, "We will review disaster relief funds for the affected areas."

The victims of this accident are expected to receive compensation in accordance with the National Compensation Act. The National Compensation Act stipulates that if a public official causes damage to another person intentionally or through negligence while carrying out his or her duties, the state or public organization shall be liable for compensation.

Law Firm Daeryun Choi Hyeon-deok, a former Air Force military prosecutor, said, "Victims can first apply for compensation against the state, and then the Ministry of National Defense's Compensation Deliberation Committee will review the matter and make a decision to pay compensation."

As the Air Force cited 'pilots' mistakes' as the background to this accident, some analysis suggests that the state may later seek compensation from the pilots.

Regarding this, Attorney Choi explained, "To date, the Air Force appears to be maintaining the position that the pilot's individual negligence led to the accident. According to Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the National Compensation Act, if there is a serious negligence of a public official, a claim can be made for all or part of the compensation paid by the state, so it is expected that the scale of disciplinary action will vary depending on the interpretation of the pilot's violation of duty of care."

Military authorities organized a 'Damage Compensation Field Response Team' at the site and held a briefing session for residents regarding compensation procedures and methods.

Reporter Hwang Jeong-won (jwhwang@mt.co.kr)

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'Talent' Pocheon misfire... “The Air Force was at fault, but compensation is paid through taxes?” (Shortcut)