Seoul announces launch of stealth fighters after spotting 180 North Korean warplanes

The South Korean military announced on Friday the deployment of stealth fighters after detecting the movement of 180 North Korean warplanes, at a time when Seoul and Washington were conducting joint air maneuvers that angered Pyongyang.

"Our military has detected about 180 North Korean warplanes" that have been mobilized in Pyongyang's airspace, Seoul's chief of staff said, adding that Seoul "quickly deployed 80 fighters, a number of them F-35A", while the aircraft participating in the maneuvers "maintain" The US military is also "on its readiness".

North Korea has carried out a series of record missile launches this week, including a failed ballistic missile test Thursday.

Seoul and Washington extended their largest-ever joint military exercises until Saturday in response to North Korea's missile launches.

Shortly after South Korea announced the decision to extend the joint exercises Thursday, Pyongyang fired three more short-range ballistic missiles, describing the move as "very dangerous and (representing) the wrong choice."

Hours later, the northern part fired 80 artillery shells that landed in the marine "buffer zone," according to the Seoul military.

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