Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..
Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: April 7, 2023 @ 7:00 pm
FILE – In this photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, a U.S. B-52 bomber, C-17, and U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea on Dec. 20, 2022. The United States flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula again on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in a show of strength against North Korea amid concerns that the North might conduct a nuclear test.
FILE – In this photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, a U.S. B-52 bomber, C-17, and U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea on Dec. 20, 2022. The United States flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula again on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in a show of strength against North Korea amid concerns that the North might conduct a nuclear test.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula again on Wednesday in a show of strength against North Korea amid concerns that the North might conduct a nuclear test.
The long-range bombers took part in joint aerial drills with U.S. and South Korean fighter jets over the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. It said it was the first deployment of U.S. B-52 bombers to the peninsula in a month.
The drills “show the strong resolve of the (South) Korea-U.S. alliance and its perfect readiness to respond to any provocation by North Korea swiftly and overwhelmingly,” Lt. Gen. Park Ha Sik, commander of the South Korean air force operation command, said in a statement.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries have been expanding their combined military drills in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
The allies conducted their biggest field exercises in five years and computer simulations last month. The U.S. also sent the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier for joint naval training with South Korea last week and U.S.-South Korea-Japan anti-submarine drills this week.
North Korea sees such drills as provocations that show its rivals’ intention of attacking the North. A day after the last flight by a B-52 bomber to the peninsula on March 6, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned that her country was ready to take “quick, overwhelming action” against the United States and South Korea.
North Korea has since test-launched a series of nuclear-capable weapons designed to attack South Korea and the United States. They included the North’s longest-range Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, a developmental nuclear-capable underwater drone and cruise missiles fired from a submarine.
Last week, North Korea unveiled a new battlefield nuclear warhead to fit on short-range weapons targeting South Korea. That touched off speculation that it may want to carry out its first nuclear test since 2017 because its last two nuclear test detonations happened after it disclosed other new warheads. If conducted, it would be the North’s seventh nuclear weapons test.
Whether North Korea has functioning nuclear-armed missiles remains a subject of debate. Some experts say a nuclear detonation would be aimed at testing a miniaturized warhead for short-range missiles because the country’s recent weapons tests have focused more on weapons that place key military installations in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there, within striking distance.
Kim Jong Un has said North Korea won’t return to denuclearization talks with the U.S. unless Washington drops hostile polices toward the North, an apparent reference to its joint military drills with South Korea and U.S.-led international economic sanctions. Some observers say Kim wants to use his growing weapons arsenal to pressure Washington to accept it as a nuclear power and lift the sanctions.
On Friday, the chief nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan are to meet in Seoul to discuss how to respond to tensions caused by North Korea’s recent weapons tests, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry.
During a policy meeting Wednesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo is crucial in dealing with North Korean nuclear threats and other challenges. He said South Korea must bolster its preemptive strike, missile defense and retaliatory attack capabilities while strengthening the deterrence capacity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Sign up with
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Sign in with
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Secure & Encrypted
Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.
Thank you.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.