Seoul: South Korea and the United States conducted joint air exercises on Tuesday, featuring U.S. B-1B bombers, over the Korean Peninsula. The drills served as a demonstration of power in response to North Korean military threats, as confirmed by the South Korean defense ministry.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the exercise also included South Korean F-35A and F-16 fighter jets alongside U.S. F-16s. The purpose was to showcase the allies' ability to respond to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, reported South Korean News Agency (Yonhap).
The timing of the drills coincided with the 113th birth anniversary of North Korea's late state founder Kim Il-sung, a significant national holiday in North Korea known as the "Day of the Sun."
"In order to deter and respond to North Korea's threats, South Korea and the U.S. will continue to expand combined exercises and strengthen the level of cooperation of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," stated the ministry.
While the exact number of B-1Bs deployed was not disclosed, images from the drills depicted two U.S. long-range heavy bombers flying in formation with fighter jets.
This exercise marked the second occurrence of its kind in the year, following similar drills on February 20. Earlier, in January, the two countries, along with Japan, held trilateral air drills involving conventional bombers.
North Korea has historically reacted negatively to the presence of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, accusing the U.S. of escalating tensions.
After the February drills, Pyongyang threatened to use "strategic means" against perceived threats from the U.S.
The recent drills also followed the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier in the month, as the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment related to his brief imposition of martial law in December.