South Korea, US, Japan hold missile defense drills in East Sea

South Korea, the United States and Japan began a trilateral missile defense exercise in the international waters of the East Sea on Monday, Seoul's Navy said, amid stepped-up efforts to sharpen deterrence against North Korean threats, Report informs via Yonhap News Agency.

The three nations have been reinforcing security coordination following Pyongyang's provocative acts, such as the launch of a purportedly solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last Thursday.

The exercise featured three Aegis-equipped destroyers -- the South's ROKS Yulgok Yi I, the US' USS Benfold and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Atago, according to the armed service.

It focused on practicing procedures to detect and track a computer-simulated ballistic missile target, and share related information.