The Associated Press
Kim Tong-Hyung
SEOUL–The United States flew two supersonic bombers over the Korean Peninsula yesterday in a show of force against North Korea following the country’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile test.
The U.S. also said it conducted a successful test of a missile defence system located in Alaska.
The B-1 bombers were escorted by South Korean fighter jets as they performed a low-pass over an air base near the South Korean capital of Seoul before returning to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces said in a statement.
It said the mission was a response to North Korea’s two ICBM tests this month.
Analysts say flight data from the North’s second test, conducted Friday night, showed a broader part of the mainland United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, now is in range of Pyongyang’s weapons.
Vice-President Mike Pence said yesterday during a visit to Estonia that the U.S. and its allies plan to increase pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear program.
“The continued provocations by the rogue regime in North Korea are unacceptable, and the United States of America is going to continue to marshal the support of nations across the region and across the world to further isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically,” Pence said.
“But the era of strategic patience is over,” he warned.
“The president of the United States is leading a coalition of nations to bring pressure to bear until that time that North Korea will permanently abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile program.”
“The time for talk is over,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement.
She denied reports that Washington would seek an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, saying new sanctions that fail to increase pressure would be “worse than nothing.”
Haley said a weak resolution would show North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that “the international community is unwilling to challenge him,” and singled out China, the North’s biggest trading partner, as a country that must change its approach.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone this morning (Asia time) and have agreed to take further action against North Korea.
Abe said Trump pledged to “take all necessary measures to protect” Japan and that Abe praised his commitment to do so.
Abe also said Japan would pursue concrete steps to bolster defence system and capabilities under the firm solidarity with the U.S., and do its utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese people.
