South Korean authorities have mobilized some 80 fighter jets on Friday after detecting a large deployment of more than 180 North Korean Armed Forces aircraft at various points in the country and after days of numerous ballistic missile launches.
The South Korean Army has indicated that North Korean aircraft, including fighters and bombers, have been detected between 11.00 and 15.00 (local time) over several islands and areas of the east and west coasts of the Asian country.
In addition, the bombers have carried out a series of maneuvers and aerial gunfire, which has led South Korea to deploy aircraft including F-35A fighters, according to information from the Yonhap news agency.
However, the government is still trying to discern the exact number of aircraft deployed by Pyongyang, which is trying to protest against the joint military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea in the region.
These maneuvers were scheduled to end precisely this Friday, but both countries have decided to extend them after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday.
However, North Korean authorities have accused the allies of pressuring and endangering regional security, something Seoul has rejected. «Our military maintains its posture of preparedness for possible provocations while monitoring South Korea’s actions and movements in cooperation with the United States,» defense sources have explained.
