South Korea, US conduct exercise with B-1B bomber, fighter jets

SEOUL, South Korea — The U.S. and South Korean militaries conducted an aerial exercise involving at least one U.S. B-1B bomber and multiple fighter jets in the allies’ first joint air force drill of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry said South Korean F-35 and F-15 fighter jets and American F-16s were involved in the exercise over the Korean Peninsula, but it didn’t specify how many. The training was conducted to demonstrate the U.S. deterrence capabilities against North Korean nuclear and missile threats and improve interoperability between South Korean and U.S. forces, the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea and the United States in recent years have expanded their combined military exercises and joint three-way drills with Japan in the face of growing North Korean nuclear threats, while also sharpening their defense strategies built around U.S. strategic assets. The drills have increasingly involved advanced U.S. weapons systems, such as long-range bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines.

Tensions are at their highest in years as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to flaunt his military nuclear capabilities and align with Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, while ignoring calls by the United States and Asian neighbors to resume denuclearization negotiations.

North Korea on Tuesday criticized Washington , Seoul and Tokyo for pursuing the “absurd” goal of denuclearizing the North and said it will push to expand its nuclear forces under Kim’s direction. The statement came after the top diplomats of the U.S., South Korea and Japan met at a security conference in Germany and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation and reinforcing an international sanctions regime to counter Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

韩国首尔——美国和韩国军队举行了一次空中演习，至少有一架美国B-1B轰炸机和多架战斗机参与其中。这是美国总统唐纳德·特朗普第二个任期内，美韩两国军队首次联合空军演习。

韩国国防部表示，韩国的F-35和F-15战斗机以及美国的F-16战斗机参与了在朝鲜半岛上空举行的联合演习，但并未透露具体数量。国防部在一份声明中称，此次演习旨在展示美国对朝鲜核导威胁的威慑能力，并提升韩美军队的协同作战能力。

近年来，面对朝鲜日益增长的核威胁，韩国和美国扩大了联合军事演习以及与日本的三方联合演习，同时也在不断完善以美国战略资产为基础的防御战略。这些演习越来越多地运用了美国先进的武器系统，例如远程轰炸机、航空母舰和潜艇。

由于朝鲜领导人金正恩继续炫耀其军事核能力，并在普京总统对乌克兰发动的战争上与俄罗斯结盟，同时无视美国和亚洲邻国要求恢复无核化谈判的呼吁，紧张局势已达到多年来的最高点。

朝鲜周二批评华盛顿、首尔和东京追求朝鲜无核化这一“荒谬”目标，并表示将在金正恩的领导下推进核力量扩张。此前，美韩日三国高级外交官在德国举行的安全会议上重申了加强军事合作和强化国际制裁机制以遏制平壤核野心的承诺。