SEOUL - The Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan held joint air drills involving the US strategic bomber on Sunday, ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The trilateral drills took place over waters east of ROK's southern island of Jeju, the JCS said in a statement, adding that this is the fourth time this year that the US strategic bomber has flown to the Korean Peninsula.

ALSO READ: ROK, US to stage annual military drills

F-15K, KF-16 fighter jets from the ROK air force, at least one B-1B bomber and F-16 fighter jets from the US air force, and F-2 fighter jets from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force were mobilized for the combined air exercises, said the JCS.

During the drills, the US bomber, escorted by fighter jets from the three countries, struck a simulated target, said the statement, noting that the drills marked the second air exercise between the three countries this year.

READ MORE: DPRK slams US for military drill with allies

The exercise was in response to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Oct 31, said the JCS.