The top Air Force commander has issued a public apology for the accidental bombing of a civilian village by fighter jets last week during live-fire drills, calling it an accident that "should never have happened."

Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Young-su apologized for the bombing on Monday during a press briefing at the defense ministry, saying the Air Force, which is meant to protect lives and property of the people, inflicted harm instead.

Offering an apology and condolences to the injured civilians and soldiers, Lee stated that as the top commander of the Air Force, he was responsible for the accident and vowed to prevent it from happening again.

The Air Force on Monday announced the interim results of its investigation, revealing that one of the pilots had incorrectly entered the strike target coordinates, and that multiple verification checks were not properly conducted.

The Air Force said the unit commander was supposed to receive and review the mission pilot's report on the operational plan in advance, but this was not carried out.

Last Thursday, two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, near the inter-Korean border, during live-fire drills, injuring 29 people, including 15 civilians.