S. Korea, US, Japan launch trilateral Freedom Edge exercise

Warships of South Korea, the United States and Japan, including the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, the South's ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong destroyer and Japan's JS Haguro destroyer, take part in the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise in international waters south of South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, Nov. 13, 2024. Courtesy of the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff

South Korea, the United States and Japan launched their trilateral multi-domain exercise Monday, the military said, in what is seen as their continued efforts to deepen three-way security cooperation against North Korea's military threats.

The five-day Freedom Edge exercise got under way in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju from Sept. 15-19, according to the military.

"The Freedom Edge exercise is conducted through Friday to strengthen capabilities to deter and respond to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats," Yang Seung-kwan, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a regular press briefing.

The ongoing exercise is the third round of the trilateral drills, following previous rounds of the exercise conducted in June and November last year, respectively.

It is the first such exercise to be held since President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump took office.

The military earlier said the three countries will aim to enhance their interoperability to maintain a "solid and stable" trilateral cooperation through the exercise.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the exercise "demonstrates the countries' shared commitment to collectively achieve and maintain peace in the Asia-Pacific."

The exercise will feature training aimed at sharpening ballistic missile defense capabilities, as well as air defense exercises, medical evacuation training and maritime interdiction operation training, it said.

North Korea has protested against joint drills among the three nations, warning of military action against the previous Freedom Edge drills that involved U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

Following the inaugural exercise in June last year, the North criticized the drills as an attempt to strengthen a "U.S.-led military bloc."

Alongside the Freedom Edge exercise, South Korea and the U.S. were set to hold the Iron Mace tabletop military exercise also from Monday through Friday, focusing on integrating Washington's nuclear assets and Seoul's conventional capabilities to deter North Korean threats.

On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, condemned the plan and warned the "reckless muscle-flexing" would bring unfavorable consequences.

Kim's statement was also carried by the North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, and state radio network, the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, for the domestic audience, in what appeared to be Pyongyang's attempt to use the exercises as a pretext for military provocations going forward.

Yang, the JCS official, said he is not aware of unusual movements by the North's military so far, when asked about whether such movements or signs of a missile test have been detected.