South Korea, Japan and US begin three-day naval exercise to counter North’s missile threat

South Korea, the United States and Japan began a three-day naval exercise on Friday, aimed at countering North Korea’s missile threats, a South Korean military official said, amid signs Pyongyang may be preparing for a new missile test-launch to test incoming US president-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

Aegis-equipped destroyers from the three countries took part in the maritime exercise, the third of its kind after the missile warning exercise was held in June and November last year, the official said.

The exercise aims to boosting capabilities to detect and trace incoming missiles, as well as sharing related information among the three countries.

The move comes amid speculation that North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile to coincide with Trump’s inauguration as US president in Washington later on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, said that “no matter who says what, our intercontinental rocket will be launched any time from any location determined by the top leadership”.