Minister Lee Jong-seop: "Vigilant Storm Extended Until the 5th, I Requested It from the US"

Extension Decision Due to North Korea Provocation

Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The joint air exercise between the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces, 'Vigilant Storm,' will be extended by one day until the 5th. Originally scheduled to end on the 4th, the South Korean and U.S. defense authorities announced the extension due to continued provocations from North Korea. It appears that Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop's decision was behind this move.

On the 4th, Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop held a briefing at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington DC, stating, "This exercise is conducted annually," and added, "This time, we expanded the scale, and it was not a presidential directive but my request to the U.S. Secretary of Defense that led to the one-day extension." Minister Lee is currently in the U.S. to attend the 54th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also emphasized at a joint press conference immediately after the SCM, "We have decided to extend the joint air exercise 'Vigilant Storm' with Minister Lee, and through this, we will strengthen our readiness posture," adding, "We will closely coordinate to prepare countermeasures to protect the United States and our allies."

Earlier, the South Korean military announced that it had decided to extend the exercise period after consultations between South Korea and the U.S., as North Korea escalated provocations by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Immediately after this announcement, Park Jung-chon, Vice Chairman of North Korea's Central Military Commission, criticized the 'Vigilant Storm extension,' calling it a "very dangerous and wrong choice," and warned, "You will realize that you have made an irreversible and tremendous mistake." Subsequently, North Korea promptly launched three short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea.

Vigilant Storm is a large-scale joint exercise involving over 240 air assets, including the latest stealth fighters F-35A and F-35B, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, and U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance planes, all of which are forces that North Korea fears.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.