North Korea flies fighter jets near South in show of force.
The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and its strike group deployed off South Korea’s eastern coast less than a week after it concluded trilateral naval drills with South Korean and Japanese warships. The strike group’s redeployment “demonstrates the determined will of the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance and will enhance the readiness posture of the alliance against consecutive North Korean provocations,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated.
Meanwhile, twelve North Korean airplanes flew in formation near the South Korean border in a simulation of an air-to-ground attack Thursday, prompting Seoul to scramble 30 fighter jets of its own. The South Korean military says it detected eight fighter jets and four bombers in the North Korean formation. South Korea’s flight of 30 warplanes did not engage the sortie, however, and only guarded the country’s airspace. The flight is the latest aggression to come from Kim Jong Un’s regime, which has launched numerous ballistic missiles in recent weeks.
North Korea fired a pair of short-range missiles early Thursday in further response to joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korean militaries.
President Joe Biden responded to North Korea’s most recent missile launch with a pledge to work closely with Japan and South Korea.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the president to seek God’s wisdom as North Korea and China continue to make aggressive moves.
- For Secretary Austin to be discerning as he heads the Department of Defense.
- That the commanders of the various U.S. military commands around the globe are prudent in their evaluations of local activity.
Sources: Stars and Stripes, PBS, Fox News, Bloomberg
