S. KOREA-U.S. JOINT AIR DRILLS

[Anchor Lead]

With concerns rising over the possibility of North Korea conducting a seventh nuclear test, South Korea and the U.S. are stepping up their alliance. The air forces of the two nations have held combined military exercises deploying key fighter jets. South Korean and American diplomats are warning of strong response to Pyongyang's provocations.

[Pkg]

Twenty South Korean and U.S. fighter jets fly in strike formation. The F-15K jets of the South Korean Air Force lead the way. The procession includes four F-35A stealth fighters which North Korea is particularly fearful of. The key fighter jets of the allies equipped with precision guided weapons staged a show of force to counter enemy threat on Tuesday morning in the West Sea airspace. The day before, South Korea fired eight surface-to-surface missiles. The Joint Chiefs of Staff says the exercise demonstrated South Korea's powerful capabilities and resolve to strike with precision and speed in response to any North Korean provocation. At approximately the same time the vice foreign ministers of the two nations met in Seoul to pledge strong collaboration on North Korea. U.S. State Department Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman vowed a swift and strong response to Pyongyang's nuclear test.

[Soundbite] Wendy Sherman(Deputy Secretary of U.S. State Department)

I believe that not only the ROK and the United States and Japan but the entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner. We are prepared. The two sides also mentioned ways to step up combined defense posture and additional sanctions against the North.

[Soundbite] Cho Hyun-dong(Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs) : "If Pyongyang goes on to carry out a nuclear test, we will have no choice but to consider additional sanctions in cooperation with international community."

The two officials reiterated that the door for dialogue remains open and the two countries are still willing to provide humanitarian aid to the regime. On Wednesday vice foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met for talks. On the weekend the defense chiefs of the three countries are to meet in Singapore to discuss collaboration on North Korea.