US and South Korea hold joint air drills to counter North Korea threat

FILE PHOTO: AH-64 Apache helicopters fly during a live-fire drill of the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, in Pocheon, South Korea, August 14, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - More than 200 South Korean and U.S. fighter jets are due to fly around the clock for five days this week in what would mark the largest number of sorties flown in training by the allies, South Korea's air force said on Tuesday.

The drills are part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises that are designed to boost the joint readiness of the South Korean and U.S. militaries against threats from North Korea, it said.