US, South Korea, Japan launch trilateral exercise 'Freedom Edge'

Seoul [South Korea], September 15 : South Korea, the United States and Japan have launched their five-day trilateral multi-domain exercise titled 'Freedom Edge' on Monday, Yonhap reported, citing the military.

As per Yonhap, the five-day exercise got underway in the international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju from September 15-19, according to the military.

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

Yonhap reported that this the first such exercise to be held since President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump took office.

According to the military, the countries will aim to enhance their interoperability to maintain a "solid and stable" trilateral cooperation through the exercise, Yonhap said.

Citing the US Indo-Pacific Command, it further noted that the exercise "demonstrates the countries' shared commitment to collectively achieve and maintain peace in the Asia-Pacific."

'Freedom Edge' would feature training aimed at sharpening ballistic missile defence capabilities, air defence exercises, medical evacuation training and maritime interdiction operation training.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, has strongly criticised upcoming joint military exercises between the United States, Japan, and South Korea as "dangerous" and a "reckless show of strength," Al Jazeera reported.

Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the North Korean governing party's central committee, described the drills as a "dangerous idea."

"This reminds us that the reckless display of power displayed by the US, Japan, and South Korea in the wrong places, namely around the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, will undoubtedly bring about negative consequences for themselves," she warned.

In addition to the trilateral exercises, the US and South Korea plan to stage the "Iron Mace" tabletop drills next week, aimed at integrating conventional and nuclear capabilities to counter North Korea's threats, according to South Korean media reports. South Korea currently hosts approximately 28,500 American troops.

"Iron Mace" will be the first such exercise under US President Donald Trump and newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, both of whom have expressed a willingness to resume dialogue with North Korea.

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