韓國媒體：美國B1 B轟炸機將飛越朝鮮半島

American B-1B Lancer bombers will fly over the Korean Peninsula Wednesday in the combined air force exercise with South Korea, South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday citing an unidentified military source.

The U.S. and South Korea began a five-day drill, called Vigilant Ace, on Monday amid increased tensions with North Korea over its nuclear program and recent ballistic missile tests.

The annual exercise, which will include an unusually large number of the latest generations of American stealth fighter jets, comes a week after North Korea test-fired its most powerful missile, an ICBM possibly capable of reaching the U.S. East Coast.

Around 12,000 U.S. service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops.

The U.S. Seventh Air Force has said the exercise is not in response to any incident or provocation.

North Korea routinely uses strong language to denounce U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it claims are preparations for an invasion of the reclusive country.

The high tensions on the peninsula are raising concerns, prompting the United Nations' political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman to make a rare trip to Pyongyang.

A U.N. spokesman said Feltman will discuss "issues of mutual interest and concern" with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and Vice Minister Pak Myong Guk during his visit, which ends on Friday -- as does the military drill.韓國通訊社援引不具名的軍方消息來源報道，美國B1-B戰略轟炸機星期三在美韓聯合空軍演習中將飛過朝鮮半島。

美國和韓國星期一開始爲期5天的“警戒王牌”(Vigilant Ace)軍事演習。朝鮮加緊核武器研發並試射彈道導彈之際，朝鮮半島局勢趨向緊張。

這次年度美韓軍演將罕見地有大批美國最新一代隱身戰機參加。一星期前，朝鮮剛剛試射了迄今爲止射程最遠的洲際彈道導彈，有可能打到美國東岸。

包括美國海軍和海軍陸戰隊在內的1萬2000美軍將參加與韓國的軍演。

美國第七航空隊說，演習不是對任何具體事件或挑釁的反應。

朝鮮一貫使用嚴厲的措辭譴責美韓軍演，稱其爲入侵朝鮮的準備。

朝鮮半島的緊張局勢引人擔心。聯合國主管政治事務的副祕書長費爾特曼罕見地訪問朝鮮。

聯合國發言人說，費爾特曼在訪問期間將與朝鮮外相李容浩討論雙方感興趣和關心的問題。費爾特曼的訪問和美韓軍演都將於星期五結束。