Two US strategic bombers staged an exercise over the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, provoking protest from Pyongyang shortly before US President Donald Trump starts his first trip to Asia as his country's leader.

North Korea's news agency KCNA reported on Friday that the B-1B bombers had staged a "surprise nuclear strike drill targeting the DPRK North Korea."

"The reality clearly shows that the gangster-like US imperialists are the very ones who are aggravating the situation of the Korean peninsula and seeking to ignite a nuclear war," KCNA said.

Watch video 00:49 Share South Korea conducts anti-aircraft guided missiles drill Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2mxS0 South Korea conducts anti-aircraft guided missiles drill

The US Air Force confirmed that the drills had taken place, saying its aircraft had been joined by Japanese and South Korean jets. Broadcaster CNN quoted an Air Force spokeswoman as saying that the mission was planned in advance and was "not in response to any current event."

The exercise took place as three US aircraft carrier groups are in the Asia-Pacific region, the first time Washington has deployed such forces to the region in a decade. US officials said earlier this week that the three carriers might conduct a joint exercise to coincide with Trump's trip.

Trump's biggest international challenge so far

The drills and Trump's visit come as tensions continue to run high between Washington and Pyongyang after North Korea this year conducted a series of missile tests and its sixth and largest nuclear test.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants his country to be a major nuclear power

Trump, who is to travel first to Japan, then on to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, will be seeking to promote international support for moves to cut off the supply of resources to North Korea.

A South Korean presidential official has said that Seoul might announce unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang ahead of Trump's arrival.

The US has already approved a variety of sanctions against North Korea, and has pressed China, Pyongyang's most important ally, to do more to force it to renounce nuclear weapons. Trump has warned that he will "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatens the United States.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty A young leader Kim Il Sung, the first and "eternal" president of North Korea, took power in 1948 with the support of the Soviet Union. The official calendar in North Korea begins with his birth year, 1912, designating it "Juche 1" after the state's Juche ideology. He was 41 when, as shown here, he signed the 1953 armistice that effectively ended the Korean War.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Hero worship In the years and decades after the war, Pyongyang's propaganda machine worked hard to weave a mythical narrative around Kim Il Sung. His childhood and the time he spent fighting Japanese troops in the 1930s were embellished to portray him as an unrivaled military and political genius. At the 1980 party congress, Kim announced he would be succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Ruling to the end In 1992, Kim Il Sung started writing and publishing his memoirs, entitled "Reminiscences: With the Century." Describing his childhood, the North Korean leader claims that he first joined an anti-Japanese rally at 6 years old and became involved with the independence struggle at 8. The memoirs remained unfinished at Kim Il Sung's death in 1994.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty In his father's footsteps After spending years in the top tiers of the regime, Kim Jong Il took power after his father's death. Kim Jong Il's 16-year rule was marked by famine and economic crisis in an already impoverished country. However, the cult of personality surrounding him and his father, Kim Il Sung, grew even stronger.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Rising star Historians outside North Korea believe Kim Jong Il was born in a military camp in eastern Russia, most likely in 1941. However, the leader's official biography claims it happened on the sacred Korean mountain Paektu, exactly 30 years after his father, on April 15, 1942. A North Korean legend says the birth was blessed by a new star and a double rainbow.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Family trouble Kim Jong Il had three sons and two daughters with three different women. This 1981 photo shows Kim Jong Il sitting besides his son Kim Jong Nam, with his sister-in-law and her two children in the background. Kim Jong Nam was eventually assassinated in 2017.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Grooming a successor In 2009, Western media reported that Kim Jong Il had picked his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to take over as the head of the regime. The two appeared together at a military parade on 2010, a year before Kim Jong Il passed away.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Together According to Pyongyang, the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011 was marked by a series of mysterious events. State media reported that ice snapped loudly at a lake on the Paektu mountain during a sudden snowstorm, with a glowing message appearing on the rocks. After Kim Jong Il's death, a 22-meter (72-foot) statue of him was erected next to the one of his father (l.) in Pyongyang.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty Mysterious past Kim Jong Un mostly stayed out of the spotlight before his ascent to power. His exact age is disputed, but he is believed to have been born between 1982 and 1984. He was reportedly educated in Switzerland. In 2013, he surprised the world by meeting with former NBA star Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty A new cult Like the leaders before him, Kim Jong Un is hallowed by the state's totalitarian regime. In 2015, South Korean media reported about a new teacher's manual in the North that claimed Kim Jong Un could drive at the age of 3. In 2017, state media said that a monument to the young leader would be build on Mount Paektu.

The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty A Kim with a hydrogen bomb Altough Kim took power at a younger age and with less of a public profile than his father and grandfather, he has managed to maintain his grip on power. The assassination of his half-brother Kim Jong Nam in 2017 served to cement his reputation abroad as a merciless dictator. The North Korean leader has also vastly expanded the country's nuclear arsenal. Author: Darko Janjevic



Read more: South Koreans to protest against 'war maniac' Trump

Call for patience

But White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster has struck a more circumspect note.

"I think we have to be a little patient here for at least a few months to see what more we and others can do, including China," McMaster told reporters in Washington.

South Korea's spy agency said on Thursday that a recent increase in activity at the North's missile research facilities in Pyongyang could indicate another imminent launch.

North Korea in July launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles apparently capable of reaching the US mainland. They were described by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a gift to "American bastards."

Read more: Which US cities could North Korea's ballistic missile hit?

tj/ng (dpa, Reuters)