In a separate statement, North Korea’s foreign ministry called the B-52 flyover a reckless provocation, according to the AP. “There is no guarantee that there will be no violent physical conflict,” should the drills continue, the statement added, according to the AP.
The U.S. and South Korean military’s drill Monday was the latest in a series of recent drills over the peninsula in response to North Korea’s record number of missile tests conducted last year. Last week, the allies announced they will be conducting a computer-simulated command post training from March 13 to 23 to restore their largest spring field exercises which were last held in 2018, according to the AP.
“The United States remains committed to the security of the ROK and our combined defense posture in accordance with the U.S.-ROK Alliance,” a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. They added that their exercises are “Longstanding, defensive, and routine,” and they hold no hostile intent towards North Korea.
North Korea has a history of making explosive responses amid heightened tensions with South Korea and the U.S. over joint military exercises. Last month, after American and South Korean drills using B-1B bombers, the North Korean military responded by firing two short-range ballistic missiles.
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.