In recent hours, South Korea was surprised by a new short-range missile launch by North Korea, a day after the U.S. and South Korean Air Forces deployed stealth fighters as part of a combined air exercise.
This combined deployment on South Korean soil has drawn North Korea’s attention, following the arrival of U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-22 Raptors at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan earlier this week to join the air exercise, which will also feature South Korean Air Force F-35As among more than 100 aircraft.
In this context, on the afternoon of Friday, May 17, North Korea launched a series of missiles from the Wonson region that traveled 300 kilometers before falling between the Korean peninsula and Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces described the launches as a “clear provocation” that threatens peace on the Korean peninsula.
North Korea, on the other hand, claims that it has been forced to advance its nuclear and missile programs to counter U.S.-led hostilities. The Pyongyang regime denounces the expansion of military training between the United States and South Korea, labeling it as a rehearsal for invasion.
Prior to the launch, two South Korean F-35As and two U.S. F-22 Raptors were mobilized for the combined air exercise over central South Korea. North Korea, through an official news agency, stated that this deployment is “another clear proof of the hostile nature of the United States,” which seeks “a confrontation by force” with the country, and warned that the F-22 overflights “only hastened the advent of a situation that the United States does not want to see.” Finally, it is worth noting that North Korea indicated that the recent weapons tests were part of the country’s five-year weapons accumulation plan launched in 2021 designed to target Seoul.
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