U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday denied flying stealth bombers to the Korean Peninsula aggravates tension in the region.

Hagel made the remarks during a press briefing at the Pentagon, saying instead that the actions of the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) had "ratcheted up the danger" on the peninsula.

"We have to be prepared to deal with any eventuality," Hagel said of the rare announcement that two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers ran a practice bombing sortie over South Korea earlier in the day.

"Those exercises are mostly to assure our allies that they can count on us to be prepared and to help them deter conflict," said Hagel.

In the first public confirmation of a B-2 mission over the Korean Peninsula, U.S. command in South Korea said in a statement that two B-2 Spirit bombers made a nonstop round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, to an island bombing range off South Korea's west coast, demonstrating the United States' ability to "provide extended deterrence to our allies in the Asia- Pacific region" and to "conduct long-range, precision strikes quickly and at will."

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