South Korea, US, Japan launch trilateral Freedom Edge exercise

Seoul, Sep 15 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 September 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 US 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 US 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 defence 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 US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

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

Alongside the Freedom Edge exercise, South Korea and the US 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, Yonhap news agency reported.

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.

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