The South Korean Ministry of Defense announced today, Sunday, that the US strategic bomber, "B-1B Lancer", has been redeployed to the Korean Peninsula, 16 days after its last deployment, in a show of deterrence against Pyongyang.
The ministry stated - according to what was reported by the South Korean news agency "Yonhap" - that South Korea and the United States conducted joint air exercises over the Korean Peninsula, with the deployment of the American B-1B Lancer strategic bomber on the seventh day of the ongoing joint military exercises between the two countries "Shield". Freedom" that launched on the 13th of March.
She pointed out that Seoul and Washington demonstrated a strong joint defense position for the Korean Air Force and the US Air Force, and a commitment to expanded deterrence while enhancing interoperability and the ability to deploy rapid reaction forces and a strong strategic strike capability in wartime, stressing that the Korean-US alliance maintains a state of high alert. The joint defensive stance against the continued destabilization in the region and will achieve peace through force based on its capabilities and strong position, while enhancing confidence in the US extended deterrence.
North Korea fired, earlier today, a short-range ballistic missile towards the East Sea, apparently in protest against the ongoing "Freedom Shield" exercises.
On Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff called North Korea's recent launch of a ballistic missile a "serious provocation", apparently in protest of South Korea and the United States continuing military exercises.
The authority said - in a statement carried by the South Korean Yonhap News Agency in its English version that the South Korean army will maintain a position of readiness to respond strongly to any provocation by North Korea, while carrying out intensive and comprehensive joint exercises.
"The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a comprehensive analysis on the details of the launch," the agency said in the statement.
For its part, the US Indo-Pacific Command condemned the launch and said it highlighted the destabilizing impact of North Korea's banned weapons programs.
"We strongly condemn North Korea's series of ballistic missile launches as a major provocative act that harms peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the international community, and in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions," it said in a statement, calling on North Korea to stop these launches immediately.
Tokyo confirmed the launch, with Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Inoue telling reporters that his country had lodged a protest and strongly condemned what North Korea had done through its embassy in Beijing.
Hours ago, the South Korean army announced that North Korea had launched a short-range ballistic missile, in the fourth show of force within a week, as South Korea and the United States are conducting major military exercises.
It is noteworthy that Seoul and Washington have strengthened defense cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from North Korea, which has conducted a series of increasingly provocative banned weapons tests in recent months.

  Source: Middle East News Agency