US, South Korea Fly 20 Fighter Jets in Show of Force Amid North Korea Nuclear Tensions

In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. and South Korea Air Force fighter jets including South Korea's F-35A stealth fighters – and U.S. F-16 fighter jets, fly in formation during a joint drill on June, 7, 2022. South Korea Defense Ministry via AP

The United States and South Korea performed a combined air power demonstration over the Asian country’s western sea early on Tuesday to display their combat readiness to North Korea.

The two allied nations launched 20 fighter jets in total—including 16 F-35A stealth fighters and four F-16 fighters—over the Yellow Sea, a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between China and the Korean Peninsula.