South Korean and US Air Force Commanders Discuss North Korean Threats

South Korean and US Air Force commanders convened for their annual meeting to address North Korea’s provocations, as tensions rise following the North’s destruction of inter-Korean roads.

The two-day Air Boss Conference (ABC), which began on Monday at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, brought together around 80 officials, including leaders from South Korea’s Air Force Operations Command and Air and Missile Defence Command, as well as members of the US 7th Air Force, Marine Corps Forces Korea, and the 5th Air Force based in Japan.

During the meeting, commanders assessed the current security environment amid ongoing provocations from the North, which recently sent troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. Earlier this month, North Korea accused South Korea of sending drones with anti-North Korean leaflets and subsequently detonated inter-Korean roads on its side of the border.

Gen. Kim Hyoung-soo, commander of South Korea’s Air Force Operations Command, emphasized the need to enhance combined air operations capabilities to counter North Korean threats, stating that the discussions would reinforce the allies’ deterrent posture.

Launched in 1992, the ABC is held annually to evaluate the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and discuss the latest air and space operations.