Tokyo: The United States, South Korea and Japan have held trilateral missile defense drills in international waters of the Sea of Japan, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday citing Seoul's Navy.

"This exercise served as an opportunity to enhance our military's response capabilities against ballistic missiles and improve security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan," a Navy official said as quoted by Yonhap, adding that the three countries "will effectively respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."

Yonhap specified that the drills were organized around a scenario of a ballistic missile launch by North Korea and featured three Aegis-equipped destroyers.

The last time that the US, Japan and South Korea held a trilateral missile defense exercise was in April.

On Wednesday, Pyongyang test-fired the new-type Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is believed to have flown over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) at a maximum altitude of over 6,000 kilometers on a lofted trajectory.

South Korea imposed new sanctions on four North Korean individuals and three entities after Pyongyang's latest launch . The US and South Korea held combined air drills on Thursday in response to North Korea’s ICBM launch.

(With UNI inputs)