22 March 2017•Update: 23 March 2017
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
An American B-1B bomber soared above the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday within hours of an apparent failed missile test by North Korea.
The show of strength by the U.S. and South Korea came amid allied military drills, before the powerful B-1B returned to its base in Guam.
“Through this exercise, the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces demonstrated their strong deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats,” according to a statement from the South’s Air Force carried by Yonhap News Agency.
Earlier in the day, Seoul’s defense ministry confirmed the North fired a missile in the morning but it was “presumed to have failed”.
The U.S. Pacific Command also detected the attempt, suggesting the projectile exploded just after being launched.
North Korea carried out a new rocket engine test last weekend, prompting speculation about a looming long-range missile launch.
The Pentagon said the test ended in "a spectacular, catastrophic explosion" seconds after the missile's attempted take-off.
The missile does not appear to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to the Pentagon. The U.S. has voiced strong concerns over Pyongyang's development of an ICBM as such a projectile could theoretically hit the continental U.S.
"We obviously will continue to monitor North Korea’s actions closely. We call upon North Korea to refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric that further threatens international peace and stability," Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said.
Pyongyang has already tested several other ballistic missiles this year, despite being barred from doing so by United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The North insists it will continue developing its nuclear arsenal in response to what it perceives as a threat from the U.S., which has nearly 30,000 troops stationed in South Korea.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently said Washington could get tougher on North Korea after two decades of failure to curb Pyongyang’s weapon ambitions.
*Anadolu Agency Washington Correspondent Michael Hernandez contributed to this report
