South Korea and the United States held a joint missile interception exercise over the Korean Peninsula on Friday, apparently in response to a series of North Korean tests this year, the South Korean Air Force revealed.
So far, North Korea has conducted six rounds of missile tests this year, most of them involving cruise missiles. According to reports, these missiles usually fly at low altitudes to break through the adversary's missile defense system. Analysts note that in the event of a conflict, North Korea could use cruise missiles to strike American aircraft carriers and their military bases in Japan.
The South Korean Air Force said in a statement that Friday's drills involved the two countries' fifth-generation fighter jets, the F-35A, as well as other South Korean fighter jets. U.S. F-35A fighter jets were deployed to South Korea on Wednesday from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, according to the statement.
Since 2022, North Korea has stepped up its testing efforts, which experts say is an effort to increase its leverage in future diplomatic negotiations. To address this challenge, South Korea and the United States have not only expanded their military exercises with Japan, but also stepped up trilateral training. Initiatives for their own influence. During the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, top diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed to strengthen joint response capabilities to North Korea's evolving nuclear threat and coordinate actions to prevent North Korea from financing its nuclear program.
As the United States and South Korea enter election years, North Korea is expected to step up its testing and belligerent rhetoric. North Korea is likely to seek international recognition of its nuclear statehood, arguing that it will help lift U.S.-led economic sanctions.
North Korea's expanding nuclear arsenal could harden its stance and raise fears that it could launch a limited military provocation against South Korea. However, observers believe that because North Korea's equipment is relatively backward compared to the United States and South Korea, a full-scale attack is unlikely.
The United States and South Korea** have repeatedly warned that any North Korean nuclear attack on them would lead to the demise of Kim Jong-un's North Korea**.
U.S. and South Korean military exercises provoke North Korea