February’s test provoked another round of United Nations sanctions, drafted by the US and China, triggering an escalation of threats and provocations from the North. The tension on the peninsula increased further with the annual joint military exercises conducted by the US and South Korea – especially when American nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 bombers were added to the drills.
2月核试招致了由美中两国起草的又一轮联合国制裁，并由此引发朝鲜的威胁和挑衅进一步升级。一年一度的美韩联合军演进一步恶化了半岛紧张局势，美国能发射核武器的B-52和B-2轰炸机参与​​演习则更是如此。