US and allies conduct joint naval drills to counter North Korea missile threat

South Korea, the United States, and Japan will hold joint naval missile defense exercises on Monday.
The exercises aim to better counter North Korea's evolving missile threats.
The drills will be held in international waters between Korea and Japan.
North Korea's aggressive nuclear push is aimed at forcing the US to accept the idea of the North as a legitimate nuclear power and negotiating economic concessions from a position of strength.
The exercises may trigger a belligerent response from North Korea, which condemns the US military drills with its Asian allies as invasion rehearsals.