The South Korean Defense Ministry announced that a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber participated in joint drills with the South Korean military on Wednesday, marking the latest display of the two allied nations' readiness to respond to any provocations from North Korea. The ministry added that the B-52 bomber joined U.S. fighters, including F-35B and F-16 jets, as well as South Korean F-35s in the joint exercises. This is the first deployment of a U.S. B-52 bomber in South Korea since March 6.
North Korea has intensified its military activities in recent weeks, unveiling smaller nuclear warheads and pledging to produce more materials suitable for weapon creation, while testing what it claimed was an underwater drone capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The South Korean ministry stated that the involvement of the B-52 bomber would enhance U.S. extended deterrence, referring to the nuclear umbrella that protects U.S. allies.
Park Ha-sik, commander of South Korea's air operations command, stated, "The two allied nations demonstrate their strong will and perfect readiness to respond swiftly and forcefully to any provocation from North Korea through joint air drills associated with the increasing pace and intensity of the deployment of U.S. strategic assets."
The United States and South Korea have been conducting numerous drills since March, including air and naval exercises featuring a U.S. aircraft carrier and a B-1B bomber, as well as the first amphibious landing drills in five years. These exercises have drawn anger from North Korea, which labeled them as war drills. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol noted in a policy meeting with his advisors that the regional security situation is "more dangerous than ever" due to North Korea's weapons development and what he termed continuous provocations. He called for enhancing the allies' extended deterrence and ensuring the readiness and capabilities of the South Korean military through effective training.
