WASHINGTON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States and South Korea have conducted a live-fire exercise after a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday, said the U.S. Army.
The joint exercise was conducted on Saturday morning local South Korean time and the missiles were fired into "territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast," reported U.S. media, citing a statement released by the Army.
The drill engaged the surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System and South Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II, according to the statement.
The military exercise came shortly after U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford called his South Korean counterpart Lee Sun Jin to express the "ironclad commitment" to the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, also participated in the call.
"The three leaders also discussed military response options," said a statement issued by Dunford's spokesman Greg Hicks.
The Pentagon said on Friday that an initial assessment showed the DPRK launched an ICBM at 10:41 a.m. EDT Friday (1441 GMT).
The missile traveled about 1,000 kilometers before splashing down into the sea, said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis in a statement.
