South Korea’s air force, along with those of the United States and Japan, conducted a joint exercise on Wednesday, featuring at least one B-1B bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons. South Korea participated in the exercise with F-15K fighter jets, while Japan provided F-2 fighter jets.
This was the first trilateral exercise among the three allied nations this year, with a similar exercise last taking place in November 2024. In a statement, the Ministry of Defense in Seoul announced that South Korea, the US, and Japan would be strengthening their cooperation, citing a perceived threat from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Yonhap News Agency also reported on an additional air force exercise conducted by South Korea and the US on Wednesday, marking the first joint exercise with live ammunition this year. Two South Korean F-15K fighter jets and two US A-10 fighter jets took part, with approximately 20 MK-82 bombs being used.
The exercises were seen as a response to the recent missile launch by the DPRK. Pyongyang had tested a ballistic hypersonic missile on January 6, according to its own reports, and had also fired several short-range missiles. This was the first launch of a ballistic missile in 2025.