South Korea, US and Japan hold first-ever trilateral aerial exercise in face of North Korean threats

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean, U.S. and Japanese militaries have held their first-ever trilateral aerial exercise in response to evolving North Korean nuclear threats. South Korea’s air force says Sunday’s training near the Korean Peninsula was meant to boost their joint response capabilities against North Korean threats. It says the drill involved a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber from the United States and fighter jets from South Korea and Japan. The drill could enrage North Korea, which typically views U.S. training exercises with South Korea as an invasion rehearsal and responds with its own missile tests.