US, South Korea, Japan hold missile defence drill after North's ICBM launch

According to the South Korean military, the United States, South Korea, and Japan conducted a coordinated naval missile defence drill on Sunday to fight North Korea’s increasing nuclear and missile threats only days after the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

On Wednesday, North Korea fired its newest Hwasong-18 missile, which Pyongyang defines as the heart of its nuclear strike force, off the east coast in what it called a “strong practical warning” to its rivals.

The trilateral practice took place in international seas between South Korea and Japan on Sunday, bringing together warships equipped with Aegis radar systems from the three nations, according to the navy.

Washington and its Asian allies have been working to improve their information-sharing system on North Korea’s missiles. South Korea and Japan are independently linked to US radar systems but not to each others.

The military said that the exercise aimed at mastering the allies’ response to a North Korean ballistic missile launch with a scenario featuring a virtual target.

“We will effectively respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats with our military’s strong response system and the trilateral cooperation,” a South Korean Navy officer said.

The North’s ICBM launch was denounced by the US, South Korea and Japan, though Pyongyang has rejected the condemnation, saying it was an exercise of its right to self-defence.

The latest launch followed heated complaints from North Korea recently, accusing American spy planes of flying over its exclusive economic zone waters, condemning a recent visit to South Korea by a US nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine and vowing to take steps in the reaction.