In the face of North Korean threats, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conduct their inaugural joint aerial exercise.

South Korea’s air force announced that the militaries of South Korea, the United States, and Japan carried out their inaugural joint aerial exercise on Sunday. This exercise was conducted in response to the changing nuclear threats posed by North Korea.

The air force stated that the training conducted in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula aimed to put into action the previous agreement among the three nations. The agreement focused on enhancing defense cooperation and strengthening their collective ability to respond to threats from North Korea.

According to the statement, the exercise included a B-52 bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons from the United States, as well as fighter jets from South Korea and Japan.

South Korea and Japan, both crucial allies of the United States in Asia, jointly accommodate approximately 80,000 American soldiers.

The three countries have occasionally held trilateral maritime drills, such as anti-submarine or missile defense exercises, but Sunday’s training marked the first time for them to perform a trilateral aerial drill.

Expanding military exercises with Japan in South Korea is a delicate matter due to the lingering resentment towards Japan’s oppressive rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. However, the escalating nuclear program of North Korea has compelled President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea to prioritize strengthening trilateral security cooperation with the United States and Japan, setting aside historical grievances.

In August, Yoon, President Joe Biden of the United States, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan convened at Camp David for their countries’ inaugural independent trilateral summit. During the meeting, they reached a consensus to enhance their defense collaboration in response to the nuclear threats posed by North Korea. The trio resolved to conduct yearly joint exercises and implement the sharing of real-time missile warning information on North Korea before the end of the year.

Sunday’s drill could draw a furious response from North Korea, which has long bristled at U.S. training exercises with South Korea, calling them an invasion rehearsal and responding with missile tests. The North slammed the Camp David agreement, accusing the U.S., South Korean and Japanese leaders of plotting nuclear war provocations on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Yoon, Biden and Kishida “the gang bosses” of the three countries.

Concerns regarding North Korea’s nuclear program have intensified following the implementation of a law allowing the preemptive utilization of nuclear weapons. Furthermore, North Korea has openly expressed intentions to employ these weapons in potential confrontations with the United States and South Korea.