North Korean warplanes fly close to the border, and Seoul retaliates

A dozen North Korean fighter jets flew over an area near the border with South Korea on Thursday, amid Pyongyang’s missile tests, according to the Yonhap news agency.

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The second incident in a week involving warplanes comes amid growing military tensions on the peninsula, where North Korea recently launched a series of missile launches, including Thursday.

According to South Korean civil servants quoted by Yonhap news agency, ten fighter jets were spotted flying 25 kilometers north of the border between the two states between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 12:20 a.m. local time on Friday. North Korean planes crossed a “reconnaissance line” and triggered an automatic response from the South, according to the same source.

Seoul sent fighter jets, including F-35As, according to civil servants, Yonhap added.

The episode comes shortly after Pyongyang tested two long-range strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday, which was reported by the North’s official press, noting that the tests were overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

On Thursday, North Korea launched a new unidentified ballistic missile, according to a South Korean news agency.

Pyongyang has described its recent missile tests as nuclear tactical exercises, simulating attacks on airfields and military installations in South Korea.