US, South Korea fly bombers in show of force after North Korea’s ICBM launch

The US and South Korea deployed strategic bombers in a show of force after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that added to tension in the region.

The two allies flew B-1B bombers escorted by their fighter jets on Sunday in a joint air drill, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a text message. The aircrafts entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone.

The flight came a day after North Korea fired a Hwasong-15 ICBM that landed in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. North Korea is banned from testing ballistic missiles under international sanctions imposed for its nuclear arms development.

Also Read: North Korea says it fired ICBM as warning to US, Seoul

The US has conducted joint drills with its allies in the region in the past to respond to North Korean provocations. The White House has condemned North Korea’s latest launch, saying the US “will take all necessary measures” to ensure the security of the homeland, South Korea and Japan.

The US and Japan plan to conduct a joint air drill on Sunday in response to North Korea’s launch, broadcaster FNN separately reported earlier, citing several unidentified people with knowledge of the matter.

The exercise will be held near Japan and include US bombers and Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets, FNN said, adding that the drill is contingent on weather conditions.

It wasn’t clear whether the drill would combine with the US-South Korea one, which also involved F-35A, F-15K and F-16 fighter jets according to the JCS. South Korea didn’t say how many B-1B bombers the US deployed in their drill.

In comments carried by state media on Sunday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued new warnings to the US, saying Washington should “stop all the actions posing threats to the security of our state.”