According to the Ministry of National Defense, South Korea and the United States conducted a joint air exercise on the 20th, with the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber deployed over the Korean Peninsula. This is the first time that U.S. strategic assets have been deployed to the Korean Peninsula since the inauguration of the Trump administration.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the joint air exercise included South Korea's F-35A and F-15K stealth fighters and the U.S. F-16 fighter. The U.S. B-1B strategic bomber also participated; this aircraft can carry a maximum of 57 tons of munitions and can be dispatched from the U.S. territory of Guam to the Korean Peninsula in about 2 hours, making it one of the key strategic assets in U.S.-South Korea extended deterrence.
This exercise was conducted to directly demonstrate the U.S. extended deterrence capabilities against the evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea and to strengthen the interoperability of U.S.-South Korea joint forces. A Ministry of National Defense official noted that "the two countries will continue to expand joint exercises to deter and respond to North Korean threats based on close cooperation."