A middle-range surface-to-air guided weapon for shooting down enemy airplanes has been exploded during an operation abnormally during a maintenance operation.

The Air Force said, "Today, at 10:38 am, one airplane launched at Chuncheon's Air Force unit was being fired from the air near the base."

"The guns are designed to be self-exploited for safety in the event of an unusual situation," the Air Force said. "We have not identified any human or material damage until now, and we have formed an accident investigation team to identify the cause of the accident and follow up."

Called the 'Korean Patritis' missile, the Taeunggung is deployed to enemy aircraft and missile interceptors approaching 40km or less.

(Photo: Yonhap News)