US bombers flew off the coast of North Korea Saturday in a show of force designed to project American military power in the face of Pyongyang's weapons programs, the Pentagon said.

"This is the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) any US fighter or bomber aircraft have flown off North Korea's coast in the 21st century, underscoring the seriousness with which we take the DPRK's reckless behavior," Pentagon spokesman Dana White said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea.