TWO SOUTH Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during a joint live-fire exercise with the US military today, injuring eight people, officials said.

The MK-82 bombs released by the KF-16 fighter jets fell outside a firing range, causing civilian damage, the air force said in a statement.

The air force said it will establish a committee to investigate why the accident happened and examine the scale of the civilian damage. It said the fighter jets were taking part in the one-day firing drill with the US military.