SEOUL, Feb 2 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea and the United States staged joint air drills, involving strategic U.S. bombers and fighters, Seoul’s defence ministry said, today.
Mobilised for the combined air exercises were B-1B strategic bombers and F-22 and F-35B stealth fighter jets from the U.S. air force, as well as, F-35A fighters from the S. Korean air force.
The drills were conducted yesterday, over the western waters of South Korea, to show “the U.S. will and capabilities, to provide strong and credible extended deterrence,” the ministry said, in a statement.
The ministry noted that, the two allies will strengthen their joint military exercises, in connection with the deployment of U.S. strategic assets.
The joint drills came, after the defence chiefs of S.Korea and the U.S. held talks in Seoul, and agreed to expand and bolster the level and scale of this year’s combined exercises and training.
In response, the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), condemned the “reckless military confrontational manoeuvres and hostile acts.”
The DPRK lashed out at the U.S. and South Korea, for extending continued combined drills in scale and scope, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, citing a statement issued by the ministry.
Pyongyang reiterated its principled stance on the United States: the country will stick to the principle of “nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation” and will not get interested in any contact or dialogue with Washington, as long as the latter persists in a hostile policy and confrontational line, according to the statement.– NNN-YONHAP
