The American and South Korean aircraft then conducted a low-level flight in the vicinity of Osan, south of Seoul, it said.
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The U.S. Pacific Command also revealed Tuesday that ahead of the Osan overflight, the B-1Bs had conducted fighter interception training with two F-2 fighters from the Air Self-Defense Forces, which later conducted a handoff of the U.S. B-1Bs to the South Korean fighters in global airspace. Upon completion of the bilateral flight, the B-1Bs returned to Andersen Air Force Base.
A statement published by the official Korean Central News Agency the accused the USA of citing “provocations” by North Korea as a “pretext” for seeking the “opportunity of mounting a pre-emptive nuclear attack”.
The two Koreas remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a peace treaty.
Stressing the urgency of the situation, Mr Kim added that they will also work with China, North Korea’s only ally, to close any loopholes in the existing UN Security Council Resolution 2270, adopted in March against Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test early this year.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry says it’s only a matter of time before the DPRK carries out a sixth nuclear test. But the nuclear test on Friday, the most powerful by the North to date, and its recent flurry of missile tests showed that despite years of sanctions, the country was advancing toward its proclaimed goal of fitting its ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. He said China agrees that the global community should take sterner measures against the North by adopting new United Nations sanctions against the regime.
The Security Council in March adopted, with Chinese support, what the US and South Korea said was the strongest and most effective sanctions resolution ever against North Korea, after its fourth nuclear test in January and its launch of a long-range rocket the next month.
It should be noted that the South Korean authorities have declared the readiness of the South Korean military to “wipe Pyongyang off the map” in the case of a nuclear threat.
China has called for calm, saying all sides should avoid escalating tensions. The ministers also briefly exchanged their existing positions on the planned deployment of the US missile defense system known as THAAD in South Korea.
After last week’s test, the North’s nuclear weapons institute said it would take unspecified measures to further boost its nuclear capability, which analysts said hinted at a possible sixth nuclear test.
The North Koreans also have a knack for timing: The latest test comes at a time when China is irate at South Korea and the United States over plans to deploy an advanced missile system in the South, a move many Chinese hawks could view as equally provocative as the North’s nuclear tests.
“The U.S. imperialists are going reckless, taken aback by the DPRK’s successful nuclear test”, state-run media said Wednesday.
“The United States and the Republic of Korea are taking actions every day to strengthen our Alliance and respond to North Korea’s continued aggressive behaviour”.
On the diplomatic front, the U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Sung Kim, said Tuesday that the USA and South Korea will be considering “additional unilateral measures” in response to Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test. Kim also said Japan may be included in additional initiatives.
Washington has said it is willing to negotiate with the North if it the country commits to denuclearization, which Pyongyang has refused to do.
It warned that the North Korean army was fully armed with “all means for military counteraction” to strike back at any enemy attack in “a single blow”. They focused mainly on USA involvement this time.
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In his statement, the United States general also mentioned the deployment to South Korea of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), which is created to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles, just the type of weapons North Korea claims it has.
