US Vice President Mike Pence, on a tour of Asian allies, has said repeatedly an "era of strategic patience" with North Korea is over. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The defence ministry said US and South Korean air forces were conducting an annual training exercise, codenamed Max Thunder, until April 28. "We are conducting a practical and more intensive exercise than ever," South Korean pilot Colonel Lee Bum-chul told reporters. "Speaking with one voice is extremely important to the Security Council appropriately responding to the relevant issue on the peninsula," he told reporters.

Source: Bangkok Post April 20, 2017 18:22 UTC