US flies bombers, stealth jets as Kim’s sister threatens

SEOUL (AP):

The United States flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets in a show of force against North Korea on Tuesday, as the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un derided doubts about her country’s military and threatened a full-range intercontinental ballistic missile test.

The deployment of the US B-52 bombers and the F-22 stealth fighter jets for joint drills with South Korean warplanes was part of an agreement to protect South Korea with all available means, including nuclear, South Korea’s defence ministry said.

The drills, which also included F-35 and F-15 fighter jets from South Korea, took place in the waters southwest of Jeju island, the ministry said. The US F-22 jets were deployed in South Korea for the first time in four years and will stay throughout this week for training with South Korean forces, it said.

The drills were held after North Korea claimed to have launched a test satellite for the development of its first military spy satellite, and tested a solid-fuelled motor to be used on a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile in the past several days.

North Korea already has fired a record number of missiles this year as a warning over the previous US-South Korea military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. There are concerns it may react to the latest aerial training by the allies with a new round of missile tests.