Participating U.S. forces included the Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence and a maritime patrol aircraft, according to South Korean naval officials. South Korea contributed roughly 10 aircraft and 10 warships, including the destroyer ROKS Yulgok Yi I.

A reassessment by U.S. regarding North Korea's military capabilities marks a shift in understanding the country's defensive posture.

The top military officers of South Korea and the US vowed to further strengthen the allies' trilateral security cooperation with Japan during their first video talks earlier this week, the

Plan to relocate 4,500 troops raises concerns about US commitment to Asia and threatens to undermine deterrence against China and North Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for ‘all units in the entire military’ to bring about ‘a breakthrough in war preparation’, state media said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised combined tactical drills of special operations forces and stressed "full preparations for war," state media reported Wednesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised drills by the nation’s air force and underscored the need for a step-up in war preparation, state media said

"Through the South Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Chief of Defense meeting set to take place in South Korea in July, (the two sides) agreed to further strengthen the momentum of trilateral security cooperation," the JCS said in a release.

North Korea is in its "strongest strategic position in decades," the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in a new assessment.