South Korea and the US are conducting military exercises in response to North Korea’s missile launch. According to the South Korean military, warplanes from the two allies are engaged in precision bombing exercises around the Korean Peninsula.
On Tuesday, North Korea launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japanese territory for the first time in five years. It fell into the Pacific Ocean outside the Sea of Japan. This is North Korea’s fifth missile test in the last ten days. US and South Korean intelligence agencies believe Pyongyang may be preparing for a nuclear test.
The US-South Korea exercises are being carried out by four fighter jets from both countries. According to the South Korean military, they fired on “a virtual enemy” in the Yellow Sea west of the Korean Peninsula. The military wants to demonstrate its ability to “resolutely respond” to North Korea’s provocations.
The United States Department of State said that both countries have strongly condemned this missile test along with Japan. Minister Anthony Blinken reiterated the importance of cooperation with allies in the East Asian region and said Japan and South Korea’s defenses were “ironclad”.
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