South Korea, US, Japan carry out joint air drills following North Korea ICBM launch

South Korea, Japan, and the United States held a joint air drill over the weekend following the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by North Korea. The launch was the latest by Pyongyang amidst growing tensions in the region.

The South Korean military said it staged a joint air drill with the US on Sunday with a US strategic bomber. The combined air drills followed North Korea's launch of an ICBM on Saturday after it warned of a military response to the upcoming joint military drills of South Korea and the US. The US also held joint air drills with Japan on Sunday.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said its joint air drill with the US involved South Korean F-35A, F-15K, and US F-16 fighter jets escorted a US B-1B bomber. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the air drill was a demonstration of the two countries' "overwhelming" defense capabilities and readiness posture.

On the same day, the Japanese defense ministry said its F-15s flew over the Sea of Japan with US B-1B bombers and F-16 jets in tactical exercises. The ministry said the security environment in the region is "increasingly severe" as the latest missile from North Korea landed within its exclusive economic zone.

"This bilateral exercise reaffirms the strong will between Japan and the United States to respond to any situation, the readiness of (Japan's Self Defense Forces) and US Armed Forces, and further strengthens the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance," said the ministry.

North Korean state media KCNA reported at the time of the launch that Pyongyang conducted a "sudden launching drill" to prove its capability of turning the "capacity of total nuclear counterattack on the hostile forces into an irresistible one."

On Monday, North Korea fired two more ballistic missiles off its east coast. KCNA confirmed that Pyongyang launched two projectiles at targets that were 395 kilometers and 337 kilometers away. The Japanese defense ministry said the two missiles reached an altitude of around 100 kilometers and 50 kilometers, falling outside the country's exclusive economic zone.

In a statement released by KCNA, Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong, warned against increased US presence after it held joint drills with allies.

"The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the US forces' action character," said Kim Yo-jong in the statement.