South Korea, US hold air drills after N Korea’s missile launch

Seoul: South Korea and the United States conducted on Sunday joint air drills involving a US nuclear-capable B-1B strategic bomber after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean military.

Earlier on Sunday, Yonhap said that Pyongyang test-fired a ballistic missile from the Tongchang-ri area on North Korea’s west coast. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missile flew some 800 kilometers (497 miles) and fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The joint US-South Korea drills took place over the Korean peninsula as part of the ongoing Freedom Shield exercise that started on March 13 and also involved South Korean F-35A fighter jets, US F-16 fighters and B-1B strategic bombers.

A similar exercise was held in the area on March 3.

The latest North Korean test-firing comes three days after Pyongyang launched a Hwansong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in response to joint military drills conducted by the US and South Korea.