US 🇺🇸, Australia 🇦🇺 and South Korea hold joint Navy drills

The US, Australian and South Korean navies are conducting joint exercises off South Korea intended to simulate the interception of shipments of nuclear material meant for North Korea.

The drills, held Monday and Tuesday off South Korea's Jeju Island, come as US President Donald Trump visits the region for talks which are expected to be dominated by discussion of North Korea.

"This drill is to stop the shipment of North Korea's nuclear and WMD (weapons of mass destruction) materials in and out through combined navy drill between allies, and to carry out the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolution against North Korea's illegal actions of provocation," South Korean navy Rear Adm.

Four surface vessels from the three countries -- South Korea's King Sejong Aegis destroyer, the US Navy's USS Chafee Aegis destroyer as well as the Australian Navy's escort ships Melbourne and Parramatta -- are taking part in the drills, with South Korean and US P-3 aircraft providing support and training on searching and tracking vessels carrying WMD.

North Korean government officials told CNN's Will Ripley that Pyongyang is "watching Trump's Asia visit closely," and was monitoring the three carrier strike groups that are now on the waters off the Korean Peninsula as well as the recent bomber flyovers on the peninsula.

UCJ, UNILORIN.