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Yesterday (June 1), the very day after the South Korean and US Defense Ministers promised to strengthen extended deterrence in response to North Korea's nuclear weapons, the first ROK-US joint air drill of this year was conducted.
In the combined exercise, 5th-generation fighters from South Korea and the United States were mobilized, including the B-1B strategic bomber, a strategic asset of the US Air Force.
Reporter Lee Kang reports.
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Two B-1B Lancer strategic bombers from the US Air Force fly ahead, followed by South Korean and US F-22 and F-35 fighters.
This is the first ROK-US joint air drill this year, which was held yesterday afternoon over the Yellow Sea.
The B-1B Lancer is the only supersonic type of strategic bomber that can fly from Guam to the Korean Peninsula in two hours and can load 60 tons of bombs.
The F-22 Raptor is also the world's best fighter and, together with the B-1B, is a representative strategic asset of the US Air Force.
The joint drill to mobilize strategic assets was held the day before yesterday after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he would increase the deployment of strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula at the Korea-US defense ministers' meeting.
[Lloyd Austin/US Secretary of Defense: (In the past) 5th generation fighters F-22 and F-35 as well as carrier strike
groups have been deployed on the Korean Peninsula, but there will be more operations like this in the future.]
"This exercise demonstrates the US will and ability to provide a strong and reliable extended deterrence against the threat."
In addition, he added, "We actively implemented the 'timely and coordinated deployment of strategic assets' as agreed upon at the ROK-US summit last year and the ROK-US Security Council."
Following November of last year, the airspace over the West Sea was chosen instead of the East Sea as the site for joint B-1B training this time, which is interpreted as the US intention to check China along with North Korea.
(Video editing: Kim Jin-won)