The United States and South Korea responded to the missile launched by Kim Jong-un with maneuvers of B-1 nuclear bombers

The armies of South Korea and the United States responded this Sunday to the launch of a long-range missile carried out on Saturday by the North with some aerial maneuvers in which more than a B-1 strategic bomber from the Pentagon, as reported by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The statement sent by the JCS did not specify the exact number of B-1, but in any case with this action allies seek resounding response to Pyonyangas Washington often deploys only one such bomber to the peninsula when it intends to issue a warning to the Kim Jong-un regime.

In 2017, amid escalating tension between North Korea and former US President Donald Trump, the Pentagon sent two planes, as happened in early November last year after Pyonyang fired more than 30 missiles in three days.

North Korea launched a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the second with the longest potential range in his arsenal.

The projectile traveled over 900 kilometers and reached a peak of over 5,000 before falling into the waters of Japan’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ), west of the island of Hokkaido.

In today’s maneuvers participated South Korean F-35 and F-15 and American F-16 fightersas specified by the JCS.

“On this occasion the maneuvers demonstrated the combined readiness and defense capabilities of the ROK (official name of the South) and the United States by displaying the overwhelming strength of the alliance through the rapid and immediate deployment of US deterrents on the Korean Peninsula,” the statement added.

He also confirmed the Unwavering US Commitment and Extended Deterrence Commitments“, he concludes.

Extended or extended deterrence is a commitment made last May by Washington with Seoul to send US strategic assets to the Korean peninsula in a “coordinated manner and when necessary” depending on the actions of the northern regime.

Repeated testing of North Korean weapons, including those of a tactical nature that can hit targets in South Korea, and questions about Washington’s immediate defense of its partner in the event of an attack have fueled debate about the need for Seoul to deploy or develop its possess nuclear weapons as a deterrent, with many South Koreans backing that option in the polls.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Ministry of Defense also reported joint maneuvers with the United States on Sunday. Specifically, Tokyo mobilized three F-15 fighters which escorted two B-1 bombers and four F-16 fighters over the Sea of ​​Japan.

Japan stressed that “Japan and the United States have reaffirmed their willingness to react and strengthen their alliance’s deterrence” and stressed that “the security situation around Japan is increasingly serious”.

“The surprise fake launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile… is a real test of the DPRK’s nuclear might by making its nuclear counterattack capability irresistible in the face of hostile forces.”said the state news agency KCNA using the acronym of the country’s official name, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

In a separate statement, Kim Yo-youngsister of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Unlambasted the United States for trying to transform the UN Security Council in what he called atool for his atrocious hostile policyto Pyongyang.

“I warn that we will monitor all the movements of the enemy and we will take corresponding measures (…) against all their hostile movements towards us,” he said.

(with information from EFE and Reuters)

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