黑料社

SEOUL 鈥� The United States held joint air exercises bilaterally with South Korea and Japan involving strategic bombers on Sunday, a day after North Korea fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a 鈥渟udden launching drill鈥�.

South Korea鈥檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff said the exercise, in which South Korea鈥檚 F-35A, F-15K and U.S. F-16 fighters escorted American B-1B bombers, demonstrated the allies鈥� 鈥渙verwhelming鈥� defense capabilities and readiness posture.

鈥�(The exercise) strengthened the combined operation capability and affirmed the United States鈥� ironclad commitment to the defense of the Korean Peninsula and the implementation of extended deterrence,鈥� the South鈥檚 military said in a statement.

Japan flew F-15s over the Sea of Japan with the U.S. Armed Forces鈥� B-1 bombers and F-16s in tactical exercises, Japan鈥檚 Defense Ministry said in a statement, calling the security environment 鈥渋ncreasingly severe鈥� after the latest North Korea missile landed within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

鈥淭his bilateral exercise reaffirms the strong will between Japan and the United States to respond to any situation, the readiness of (Japan鈥檚 Self Defense Forces) and U.S. Armed Forces, and further strengthens the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance,鈥� the ministry said.

The air drills come a day after North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off Japan鈥檚 west coast, following a warning of a strong response to upcoming military drills by South Korea and the United States.

North Korea鈥檚 state media KCNA said the country conducted a 鈥渟udden launching drill鈥� on Saturday in an 鈥渁ctual proof鈥� of its efforts to turn the 鈥渃apacity of fatal nuclear counterattack on the hostile forces into an irresistible one鈥�.

Leader Kim Jong Un鈥檚 sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued yet another warning and accused the United States of trying to turn the U.N. Security Council into what she called a 鈥渢ool for its heinous hostile policy鈥� toward Pyongyang.

鈥淚 warn that we will watch every movement of the enemy and take corresponding and very powerful and overwhelming counteraction against its every move hostile to us,鈥� she said in a statement.

Saturday鈥檚 missile launch, the North鈥檚 first since Jan. 1, came after Pyongyang threatened on Friday an 鈥渦nprecedentedly persistent, strong鈥� response as South Korea and the United States geared up for their annual military exercises as part of efforts to fend off the growing nuclear and missile threat that the North poses.

North Korea鈥檚 state news agency said its missile had flown for 1 hour, 6 minutes and 55 seconds, as high as 5,768 km (3,584 miles), before accurately hitting a pre-set area 989 km (614 miles) away in open waters. It first test-fired a Hwasong-15 in 2017.

鈥榃ithout warning鈥�

Last year nuclear-armed North Korea fired an unprecedented number of missiles, including ICBMs capable of striking anywhere in the United States, while resuming preparations for its first nuclear test since 2017.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Saturday鈥檚 launch 鈥渃learly鈥� signals the North鈥檚 intent to conduct further provocations.

鈥淚f North Korea conducts the seventh nuclear test, which could happen at any time, it will be a game changer in a sense that North Korea could develop and deploy tactical nuclear missiles,鈥� Park told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

KCNA said the North鈥檚 latest launch, guided by the Missile General Bureau, was conducted on an 鈥渆mergency firepower combat standby order鈥� given at dawn, followed by a written order from Kim Jong Un at 8 a.m. (2300 GMT on Friday). South Korea鈥檚 military said it detected the missile at 5:22 p.m. (0822 GMT).

鈥淭he important bit here is that the exercise was ordered day-of, without warning to the crew involved,鈥� said Ankit Panda, a missile expert at the Washington鈥揵ased Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 鈥淭he amount of time between the order and the launch is likely going to be decreased with additional testing.鈥�

Analysts say North Korea is likely to conduct more weapons tests, including a possible new solid-fuel missile which could help the North deploy its missiles faster in the event of a war.

North Korea鈥檚 ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions, but Pyongyang says its weapons development is necessary to counter 鈥渉ostile policies鈥� by Washington and its allies.

RELATED STORIES

North Korea confirms it tested ICBM on Saturday

Seoul says North Korea fired 鈥榯wo short-range ballistic missiles鈥� Monday