US flies B-52 over RoK after DPRK's nuclear test
The United States deployed a B-52 bomber on a low-level flight over its ally the Republic of Korea (RoK) on January 10, a show of force following the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear test last week.
The DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un maintained that January 6's test was of a hydrogen bomb and said it was a self-defensive step against a US threat of nuclear war.
The DPRK's fourth nuclear test angered both China, its main ally, and the United States, although the US government and weapons experts doubt the DPRK's claim that the device was a hydrogen bomb.
The massive B-52, based in Guam and capable of carrying nuclear weapons, could be seen in a low flight over Osan Air Base at around noon (0300 GMT). It was flanked by two fighter planes, a US F-16 and a RoK's F-15, before returning to Guam, the US military said in a statement.
Osan is south of Seoul and 77 km (48 miles) from the Demilitarised Zone that separates the two Koreas. The flight was "in response to recent provocative action by the DPRK", the US military said.
In Washington, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said on January 10 the flight underscored to the RoK "the deep and enduring alliance that we have with them."