Final Day of Joint Maneuvers with South Korea; American Bombers Flew Over the Korean Peninsula

On the final day of the joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, two U.S. nuclear bombers conducted a test flight alongside South Korean fighter jets on Thursday, September 9. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is set to implement a travel ban to North Korea starting Friday, September 10, which will negatively impact one of the ways the Pyongyang regime generates revenue. According to Reuters, citing the South Korean Ministry of Defense, the South Korean Air Force conducted a test flight alongside two American bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons over the Korean Peninsula. Thursday marked the last day of a ten-day joint military exercise that the U.S. and South Korea hold annually, primarily focused on computer simulations of combat scenarios. The test flight by the U.S. and South Korea occurred two days after North Korea launched a missile over Japan on Tuesday, September 7, an action that heightened tensions in the region. Nevertheless, North Korean officials described this action as a response to the ongoing military maneuvers in the Korean Peninsula. In reaction to North Korea's recent action, the United Nations Security Council condemned the ballistic missile launch over Japan in a statement on the same Tuesday. The Security Council also urged Pyongyang to refrain from any further missile tests. The 15 members of the UN Security Council stated that immediate actions by North Korea to reduce tensions in the region are of 'vital importance.' Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized on Wednesday, September 8, just hours after President Donald Trump's tweet regarding the North Korean crisis, stating that 'dialogue is not the solution [to the issue],' that the U.S. still considers diplomatic solutions in response to this crisis. In recent years, North Korea has conducted several missile tests while ignoring Security Council resolutions, but a missile test that passes over Japanese territory is considered an 'unprecedented' and 'provocative' act. As the travel ban to North Korea is set to begin on Friday, Reuters reports on Japan's renewed efforts for new sanctions against Pyongyang. The report states that Japan has urged the U.S. to bring a new sanctions resolution against North Korea to the UN Security Council. According to 'diplomats,' if a new sanction is approved, it will likely focus on oil imports and textile exports from North Korea. However, such a move is likely to face resistance from China and Russia in the UN and will not easily pass, especially since it has not been two months since new sanctions were approved against the country.