Photo/Illutration North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, provides field guidance to Ryongsong Machinery Joint Enterprise in Pyongyang in this picture released on Nov. 27. (KCNA via Reuters)

SEOUL–-In response to North Korea's spy satellite launch, Japan, South Korea and the United States staged a trilateral naval drill in waters off the southern coast of South Korea on Nov. 26.

The South Korean Navy said the maritime maneuvers served as an opportunity to strengthen the three partners’ readiness to counter escalating threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

The trilateral exercise, conducted in international waters southeast of Jeju island, included drills simulating a response to a North Korean missile launch.

It featured the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which arrived at the South Korean port of Busan the previous week.

The move followed Pyongyang’s apparent successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite into Earth’s orbit on Nov. 21.

Tensions escalated after the satellite launch prompted Seoul to suspend part of an inter-Korean military deal, resuming reconnaissance and surveillance activities around the border with North Korea.

In response, North Korea also vowed to immediately restart all suspended military activities.

The latest development comes as Japan, South Korea and the United States are bolstering their security ties to address growing threats from North Korea.

Defense chiefs from the three nations agreed on Nov. 12 to develop plans for joint maneuvers conducted over the next few years. The plans are expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

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