USA: Joint military exercises between the US Navy and South Korea and Japan have begun. A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is playing a leading role in anti-submarine drills meant to counter the DPRK.

The most recent wargames were announced by the South Korean Defense Ministry on Monday, noting that the three countries would conduct two days of "anti-submarine warfare training" close to the southern island of Jeju.

Brigadier General Kim In-ho, the commander of the South Korean forces participating in the exercise, said: "This exercise will be a good opportunity to improve the maritime operational capabilities of South Korea, the US, and Japan to respond to underwater threats such as North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which are advancing in sophistication. "We will respond vehemently and forcefully to neutralise any form of provocation."

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Rear Admiral Christopher Sweeney, commander of the US 11th carrier strike group, which consists of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, numerous guided-missile destroyers, and other support vessels, will be in charge of the exercises, the ministry announced. The exercises, which will also include "search-and-rescue training," were also expected to include a Japanese destroyer and South Korean fast combat support ships.

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In a separate bilateral exercise with Seoul in late March, the Nimitz carrier strike group engaged for the first time with the South Korean Navy as part of its current deployment. Few specifics about the training were provided by Sweeney, who nevertheless emphasised that the US and South Korea are committed to "deterring aggression on the Korean Peninsula" and that their partnership has "never been stronger."

Although Pyongyang has not yet responded to the exercises, it has repeatedly denounced comparable operations as a buildup to an attack on North Korea as Washington and Seoul have recently conducted a number of wargames.

The DPRK conducted a retaliatory weapon test in response to the two nations' largest round of joint drills in five years in March, which included 11 days of exercises on land, air, and sea.

In response to the wargames, the North launched a record number of missiles over the past year, and it recently announced plans to increase its nuclear arsenal to counter threats from enemies.

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China's Foreign Ministry said "continuous military drills" are the "main reason behind the recent flaring tensions on the Korean Peninsula" when questioned about the three-way submarine training on Monday. It urged the US and its allies to "stop military pressuring" and to pursue dialogue with North Korea.