“South Korea and the US have demonstrated their strong ability and will to strike quickly and accurately against any North Korean provocations by demonstrating their combined defense capabilities and posture through this combined air force demonstration flight,” South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The flights came amid renewed fears that Pyongyang is on the verge of carrying out a new nuclear weapons test.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday that North Korea may have opened an access way to its underground nuclear testing site.
Punggye-ri, which has been the site of all six of North Korea’s nuclear tests to date, was partly dismantled in 2018 as part of an agreement between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul.
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has been banned by the United Nations, and Pyongyang has not tested a nuclear weapon since 2017.
But this year it has repeatedly tested missiles that could possibly carry a nuclear warhead, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the US mainland. Sunday’s launch of eight ballistic missiles was the 17th time this year the Kim regime has staged such tests.
Displays of South Korea’s fighter jet arsenal are not uncommon.
Twice this year, Seoul has shown off its fleet of F-35A stealth fighters, with dozens of the jets lining up on a runway in what the military refers to as “elephant walks” — a display of hardware meant to send a message to potential adversaries.
Yoon vowed to respond “firmly and sternly” to North Korean provocations during a speech marking South Korea’s Memorial Day on Monday.