The United States, South Korea and Japan have started joint air and naval drills that North Korea has condemned as a “dangerous idea”.

The manoeuvres, known as “Freedom Edge”, began off South Korea’s Jeju Island on Monday and will last until Friday.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said the exercises, which will involve enhanced ballistic-missile and air-defence scenarios, would be “the most advanced demonstration of trilateral defence cooperation to date”.

Meanwhile, the South Korean Defence Ministry said it would improve the allies’ ability to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, according to The Associated Press news agency.

There have been protests in Seoul on Monday against the military exercises.

In comments published by North Korean state media on Sunday,

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