Korea, U.S. conducting large-scale air defense drill

The South Korean and U.S. Air Forces are conducting their two-week-long regular aerial exercise in a bid to boost combined defense capabilities against North Korea, military officials said Wednesday.

The allies will carry out the Max Thunder exercise, which kicked off last Friday and runs through April 29, according to the U.S. Air Force. It said the drills will involve more than 100 aircraft from the two sides.

Max Thunder was officially launched in 2009 with an aim at fostering the allies' joint military capabilities to thwart North Korea's potential threats.

This year's drill involves about 1,200 U.S. personnel and approximately 600 South Korean service members, it added.

The U.S. Air Forces said that the U.S. commitment to defending South Korea remains "unwavering."

"U.S. military aircraft come to Korea from across the Pacific to participate in this exercise, making a tremendous display of the capabilities the U.S. brings to this alliance," Lt. Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, Seventh Air Force commander, said in a statement.

The two allies' air forces have once again shown that their alliance can "deter and respond to any provocation" from North Korea, according to Lt. Gen. Lee Wang-keun, commander of Republic of Korea Air Force Operations Command.

The exercise came amid growing speculation that North Korea may launch its fifth nuclear test and a long-range missile test ahead of its ruling party's congress slated for early May.

The U.S. said that the drill is a regularly-scheduled one and is not related to the current situation on the divided peninsula. (Yonhap)