North Korea is far from satisfied with the US as it accused American pilots of flying planes over South Korea in what is thought to be a practice run for an attack.
North Korea’s heated response came after US pilots teamed up with South Korean ones for a training mission which included flying long-range B-1B bombers over South Korea.
Why North Korea reacted the way it did
The B-1B bombers can carry a significantly large amount of conventional weapons, and North Korea is currently advancing its nuclear programme so, it might be feeling a bit of concern.
The US and South Korea, however, noted that they routinely hold these defensive exercises, and South Korea’s Defence Ministry claimed that the aim of the exercise was for it to be a show of deterrence from the allied nations.
North Korea released a statement
An unidentified spokesperson for North Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on April 16, as reported by state media:
“The recent military move of the U.S. and the ROK (South Korea) is an open threat to the security of our state and a grave provocation that raises the military tension in the region to an extreme dangerous level.”
And also released a warning
The spokesperson continued his statement warning that North Korea “will deter by dint of powerful force the U.S. aggressive attempt to permanently fix the malignant instability element in the security environment of the region.”
South Korea is testing North Korea’s patience
South Korea’s air force announced on Thursday, April 17, that it was commencing its large-scale biannual aerial exercise with U.S. forces from the aforementioned date.
They added that the two-week “Freedom Flag” exercise would involve 90 aircraft and other aerial assets from both countries.
North Korea continues its weapons tests
The animosities on the Korean Peninsula are escalating further as North Korea continues to test weapons designed to modernize their nuclear arsenal and supply Russia with weapons and troops.
Furthermore, they often test-launch missiles, responding to the U.S. flyovers of B-1B bombers.
Donald Trump’s relations with Kim Jong Un
Ever since his inauguration US President Trump flexed about his “great relationship” with the North Korean leader, saying that “there is communication” between them, and expressing his willingness to reach out to him to re-establish diplomacy.
On March 31, Trump called Kim “a very smart guy” and North Korea “a big nuclear nation.” However, there aren’t any known public negotiations and North Korea hasn’t publicly responded to Trump yet.