U.S. flies spy plane over Korean Peninsula after N.K. missile launches

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. surveillance aircraft has flown over South Korea, an aviation tracker said Saturday, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea following its successive major weapons tests.

The U.S. Air Force's RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted in skies above Gyeonggi Province near the capital city of Seoul and the eastern province of Gangwon, Aircraft Spots tweeted.

This type of aircraft has been detected often here, with the last known flight being made early last month, along with several other types of spy planes. On Sunday and Tuesday, the Navy's EP-3E was spotted over the peninsula.

Their operations came as North Korea resumed missile launches in March after a four-month hiatus. The latest and fourth round so far this year took place on March 28, when it fired two short-range projectiles from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan toward the East Sea.

The communist country has moved to beef up self-defense capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S.

On Monday, North Korea said it has no interest in dialogue and pledged to go its own way in protest against U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's call for continued international pressure on Pyongyang.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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