U.S. set to send F-22s to Korea: official

The United States will send four F-22 stealth fighter jets to South Korea in yet another show of force against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, officials here said Tuesday.

"The U.S. military plans to deploy four F-22s to the Korean Peninsula tomorrow (Wednesday)," a defense official said, requesting anonymity.

It is apparently a provisional deployment aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Pyongyang, although the original base of the jets and how long they will stay in Korea were not immediately confirmed.

The F-22 Raptor is a core U.S. strategic weapon. The Pentagon dispatched a B-25 bomber to Korea shortly after the North's nuclear test last month.

Recently, the USS North Carolina attack submarine arrived in South Korea for joint training.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis is also scheduled to join the annual South Korea-U.S. defense drills slated to open in March.

"With the deployment of the strategic weapons, the U.S. is sending a strong warning message to North Korea and demonstrating its commitment to the defense of South Korea," another official said.

(Yonhap)