Seoul
In response to North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint air drills on Sunday, featuring at least one B-1B bomber. This military exercise took place over waters east of South Korea’s Jeju Island, underscoring heightened tensions in the region.
The trilateral drills followed North Korea’s firing of the new Hwasong-19 ICBM into the East Sea on October 31, marking its first long-range ballistic missile launch of the year. During the exercises, fighter jets from South Korea, the US, and Japan escorted the B-1B bomber across an area where the air defense identification zones of both South Korea and Japan overlap.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that the bomber simulated a strike on a target, demonstrating its ‘overwhelming’ capabilities. However, the JCS did not disclose the specific number of B-1B bombers involved in the drills.
‘This exercise took place in response to North Korea’s launch of an ICBM on October 31,’ the JCS stated. ‘As security cooperation among the three countries gradually increases, we will strengthen our coordination to deter and jointly respond to North Korea’s threats.’
This marked the second air exercise conducted by the three nations this year, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance trilateral security collaboration in the face of evolving threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
