September 20, 1994
USAF Destroys Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor
President Clinton: "North Korea's nuclear weapons capability is gone"
Satellite image of the Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor released by the Pentagon.
In an shocking turn of events, the United States Air Force has completely destroyed the Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor in what is the most recent U.S. military action in the Far East since the Vietnam War. The raid was carried out by USAF F-117 Nighthawk stealth bombers, having previously seen action in Panama in December 1989, the Persian Gulf in 1990-91, and recently in Bosnia. Although the death toll is not certain, North Korean Kim Il-Sung has promised retaliation against South Korea and the United States.
Prior to this, it was observed that the ROK military and the U.S. Forces Korea have been mobilized in the anticipation of a breakout of a conflict, which only ended in an armistice in 1953. The two Koreas are technically still at a state-of-war with each other. Neighboring countries have feared the attack would reignite the Korean War. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have been mobilized in case of an attack, as well as China's People's Liberation Army and the Russian Ground Forces.
USS Independence deployed to the Korean Peninsula
International Opinion to Attack on Reactor Varies
