N. Korea Test Missile, S. Korea Scrambles Fighter Jets

Amid soaring tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang and Seoul engaged in another round of provocations on Thursday. North Korean warplanes flew near South Korean borders. Seoul conducted artillery drills and scrambled its fighter jets.

North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported Pyongyang engaged in aerial military drills in response to artillery exercises by South Korean troops. Roughly ten North Korean warplanes flew within 12 miles of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and seven miles from Seoul’s territorial waters. 

South Korea responded by scrambling an undisclosed number of fighter aircraft. The South Korean air force said it “conducted an emergency sortie with its superior air force, including the F-35A, and maintained a response posture, while carrying out a proportional response maneuver corresponding to the flight of a North Korean military aircraft.”

Pyongyang followed the aerial maneuvers by firing a short-range missile into the sea. The Korean People’s Army said the military activity “sends a stern warning to the South Korean military inciting military tension in the frontline area with reckless action.”

North Korea frequently conducts missile tests in response to American war games in the region. The flights near Seoul’s border are rare. 

Military activity on the Korean Peninsula has rapidly increased over the past year after a period of demilitarization. American President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol have abandoned their predecessor’s policy of engagement with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

Earlier this year, the US, Japan and South Korea signed a joint pact to increase military ties. Washington and Seoul conducted live-fire war games for the first time in five years. Last week, Japan, South Korea and the US conducted trilateral military drills. 

In 2022, North Korea conducted a record number of missile tests. The launches come after a multi-year hiatus. Kim froze missile tests after meeting President Donald Trump.