A South Korean army AH-64E Apache helicopter fires a rocket during a joint live-fire exercise with the United States at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, on October 30. (AP)

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 3 (AP): The United States flew a long-range bomber in a trilateral exercise with South Korea and Japan on Sunday in response to North Korea’s recent test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile designed to attack in the near future. The South Korean military said it was the US mainland. North Korea on Thursday tested its newly developed Hwasong-19 ICBM, which flies higher and stays in the air longer than other missiles it has fired.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called it an “appropriate military action” to deal with external security threats posed by his rivals. On Sunday, the United States flew a B-1B bomber to train with South Korean and Japanese warplanes near the Korean Peninsula. In the statement made by the South Korean General Staff, it was stated that this situation demonstrated the determination and preparedness of the three countries to respond to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile programs.

In the statement, it was stated that the trilateral air training was the second organized by South Korea, the USA and Japan this year. The United States often responds to North Korea’s major missile tests by temporarily deploying some of its powerful military assets, such as long-range bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines, to and near the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea often responds to such US actions with anger, characterizing them as part of a US-led plan to invade the North and conducting additional weapons tests. The United States has flown B-1B bombers over or near the Korean Peninsula four times this year, according to the South Korean military. A B-1B is capable of carrying a large conventional weapons payload.

Thursday’s Hwasong-19 test, North Korea’s first ICBM test in almost a year, showed progress in North Korea’s missile program. But many experts say North Korea still has some technological challenges to master to obtain functioning ICBMs capable of launching a nuclear strike on the U.S. mainland. Experts say the Hwasong-19 shown in photos and videos on North Korean state media appears too large to be used in combat.