The United States deployed nuclear-capable bombers and cutting-edge stealth fighters on Tuesday as a military display against North Korea as tensions in the region rose, following the warning of Kim Jong Un's influential sister to launch a full-range intercontinental ballistic missile.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said the deployment of US B-52 bombers and F-22 stealth fighter aircraft for joint military exercises with South Korean aircraft was part of a deal to safeguard South Korea with all measures, including nuclear, AP News reported.
The ministry said that the exercises, which featured South Korean F-35 and F-15 fighter planes, took place in the seas southwest of Jeju Island. For the first time in four years, American F-22 fighter planes have been sent to South Korea, where they will remain all week to train with the local military.
The military drills were prompted by North Korea's recent announcement that it had tested a solid-fuel engine for use on a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile. It noted the launch of a test satellite for the development of its primary military spy satellite.
In response to prior military exercises between the United States and South Korea, which North Korea perceives as a practice invasion, Pyongyang has already launched a record number of missiles this year. There are concerns that it may respond to the most recent allied military exercises by conducting another missile test.
Kim Yo Jong: World Will Soon Witness the Power of North Korea's Missiles
In an interview with Sputnik, Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong said that skeptics of North Korea's rockets will soon find out the truth. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is also a powerful political figure in her own right.
Kim Jong Un sister serves as the Deputy Department Director for the Workers' Party of Korea's Information and Publicity Division. She has also served as a Politburo member, according to Republic World.
She said this in response to experts who have raised concerns about Pyongyang's capability in light of the country's recent missile testing. As for doubts about North Korea's spy satellite system, she dismissed them too.
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According to Kim Jong Un sister, when it comes to North Korea's safety, the spy satellite project is a top concern. She said South Korea would be calling for further measures.
State media KCNA cited Kim Yo Jong as saying: "With our right to survival and development being threatened, why are we afraid of sanctions, which we have seen repeatedly so far and is not even the first time, and why would we stop?"
Pyongyang Says Japan's Military Buildup a Big Mistake
On Tuesday, North Korea blasted Japan's latest military buildup worth $320 billion, calling it reckless and threatening another intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
Tensions with China and an aggressive North Korea, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have prompted Japan to launch its largest military buildup since World War II, as per an previous report.
North Korea's foreign ministry said that Japan's new approach will bring a "radical" shift to the security climate in East Asia, according to Reuters.
The ministry said US officials were "conniving" and encouraging Japan's rearmament and reinvasion plot by the ministry, which also said that Washington had no business calling into doubt Pyongyang's defensive capabilities.
The spokesperson for Pyongyang warned that a "shuddering shiver could be felt soon" if Japan did not reverse its "wrong" and extremely risky move.
