The US, South Korea and Japan conduct naval drills in a show of strength against North Korea

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States, South Korea and Japan conducted combined naval exercises involving an American aircraft carrier in their latest show of strength against nuclear-armed North Korea. The three allies’ senior diplomats were to meet in Seoul to discuss the deepening standoff with Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been on a provocative run of weapons testing and threats. At Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament this week, Kim declared that North Korea would abandon its long-standing commitment to a peaceful unification with South Korea, citing what he described as Seoul’s hostility.