Despite Pyongyang's grumbling, the United States and South Korea conduct air exercises

The United States and South Korea conducted military exercises on Friday. The South Korean military said the two countries had conducted joint air exercises over the sea west of the Korean peninsula.

The United States and South Korea held exercises for the second time in a week on Friday, despite North Korean statements that the exercises increase tensions on the peninsula.

The South Korean army said in a statement that the two countries conducted joint air exercises over the sea west of the Korean Peninsula on Friday, with the participation of warplanes, including the South Korean F-35A and the American F-22 and F-35B.

He added that the air forces of the two countries "will continue joint exercises to enhance response capabilities and readiness to ward off North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."

Last year, North Korea conducted a record number of ballistic missile tests banned by UN Security Council resolutions.

The reopening of the closed nuclear weapons test site was also monitored, fueling speculation that Pyongyang will conduct a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.

North Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday that previous exercises by the United States and its allies had reached "the brink of a red line" and threatened to turn the peninsula into "a huge war arsenal and a very dangerous war zone".

The statement, carried by North Korea's official KCNA news agency, said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursued hostile policies.