By Alex Jensen
SEOUL (AA) - British fighter jets took part in a joint military drill in South Korea on Tuesday, recalling memories of Britain’s involvement in the Korean War.
North Korea’s foreign ministry had previously warned that Britain should cancel its planned military involvement on the peninsula.
A Pyongyang spokesperson described the country’s participation in this month’s "Invincible Shield" exercise as “a never-to-be pardoned serious challenge to peace and security”.
Four Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets and other aircraft took their places alongside South Korean and American counterparts as part of the drill set to run until Thursday.
“I have taken enormous pride from witnessing our Air Forces join together to enhance even further cooperation between our countries,” Yonhap news agency stated the Royal Air Force’s Chief of the Air Staff Stephen Hillier as saying.
U.S. 7th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson is reported to have added that “this exercise offers the opportunity to develop interoperability between different types of aircraft and weapons systems, and try out various tactics and techniques.”
Britain’s decision to become the first foreign nation other than the U.S. to participate in an air combat exercise in South Korea came after months of intensifying provocations by North Korea.
The provocations included two nuclear tests and a series of ballistic missile launches.