S. Korea, U.S., Japan stage combined air exercise involving B-52H bomber

Back here in this part of the world on this Friday.

A trilateral air drill took place over international waters off the southern island of Jeju.

South Korea's KF-16 and Japan's F-2 fighters were joined by at least one U.S. B-52H bomber marking the latter's first deployment to the Korean peninsula this year.

The training comes in line with a three-way meeting here in Seoul among top military officers from the three countries earlier this morning.

Admiral Kim Myung-soo stressed the significance of the trilateral partnership amid the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile ambitions.

His U.S. counterpart General Dan Caine also highlighted the importance of the security cooperation to strengthen deterrence against an "unprecedented" military buildup by North Korea and China.