Overview
- Two U.S. B-1B bombers, alongside American F-16s and South Korean F-35A fighter jets, conducted offensive and defensive air training over western South Korea on April 15–16, 2025.
- The drills, described by the U.S. and South Korean defense ministries as a demonstration of allied readiness, respond to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities.
- North Korea's defense ministry condemned the exercises as a 'reckless abuse of strength' and warned of escalating regional tensions.
- Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, stated that such U.S. military actions justify North Korea's indefinite bolstering of its nuclear deterrent.
- This marks the third deployment of U.S. B-1B bombers to the Korean Peninsula in 2025, underscoring the U.S.–South Korea alliance's commitment to countering Pyongyang's threats.