North Korea on Thursday said a U.S. B-52 bomber flight could jeopardise family reunions it agreed to host with South Korea in late February.
The B-52 bomber, which was developed in 1952, is still widely used by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft can carry nuclear weapons, including up to 12 AGM-129 advanced cruise missiles, 20 AGM-86A air-launched cruise missiles and eight bombs.
North Korea accused the U.S. and South Korea of staging a rehearsal for a nuclear strike with B-52 bombers dispatched from Guam. South Korea denied the allegations and said only one bomber was involved in a training sortie.
U.S.-South Korea military drills have long been a source of tension between the North and the South.
"At the time when the agreement was made on reunions of separated families and relatives at Panmunjom, a formation of U.S. B-52 strategic bombers from Guam was carrying out nuclear strike practices all day over Korea's west sea, aiming at us," said a spokesman for North Korea's National Defence Commission.
If the reunion goes ahead as scheduled, about 100 people from the two countries will meet between February 20 and February 25. Millions of families on the Korean Peninsula have been split since the Korean War.
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