U.S. and South Korean warplanes conducted precision bombing drills Tuesday in response to North Korea firing a ballistic missile over Japan.
Tuesday’s missile launch from Pyongyang is North Korea’s first over Japan in five years. The provocative move prompted evacuation warnings in Japan.
A South Korean F-15K jet dropped a pair of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs at a firing range on the uninhabited island of Jikdo after the missile launch.
“South Korea and the United States have demonstrated their will to respond decisively to any North Korean provocations and the ability to precisely strike the origin of provocations with the overwhelming power of the alliance,” South Korean military officials said in a statement.
In the past 10 days, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered at least five ballistic missile tests, including several that occurred during Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to South Korea last week.