SEOUL — North Korea has warned that a recent accidental bombing by South Korean fighter jets highlights the risk of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula, according to its state news agency, KCNA. The incident occurred last Thursday when two South Korean jets mistakenly dropped eight air-to-surface bombs on a village near the border with North Korea, injuring 29 civilians. South Korea's military attributed the accident to pilot error.

The location of the bombing was near a training ground frequently used by South Korean and U.S. forces. KCNA commented on the incident, stating, "We don’t need to explain what would have happened if the bombs had landed further north and crossed our border." The agency further claimed that the situation could have escalated into a full-scale conflict, blaming the "malicious large joint military drills by the U.S. and South Korea."

The annual Freedom Shield exercises, conducted by South Korea and the U.S., began on Monday and are set to run until March 20. However, live-fire drills were temporarily suspended following the bombing. North Korea has consistently condemned these joint exercises, calling them a "rehearsal for war." South Korea, on the other hand, maintains that the drills are defensive in nature and necessary for maintaining readiness against potential North Korean threats.

The U.S. Defense Department has not yet commented on the matter. KCNA escalated its rhetoric, claiming that these military exercises were not about "peace and stability in South Korea" but rather "extremely dangerous and reckless actions" that could lead to a global crisis and potentially the world's first nuclear war. It also warned that North Korea would take "merciless action" without prior notice if it deemed such measures necessary.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file.