Seoul: South Korea, the United States, and Japan will hold their trilateral multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise this month, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday, in their continued efforts to deepen joint security cooperation. The five-day exercise will take place in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju from Sept. 15-19, the JCS said.
According to Qatar News Agency, "The three countries will bolster their multi-domain operational capabilities in areas including the sea, air, and cyberspace and enhance their interoperability to maintain a solid and stable trilateral cooperation," the JCS said in a statement, cited by Yonhap News Agency. The upcoming exercise will mark the third round of the trilateral drills, following two rounds of the exercise conducted in June and November last year, respectively. It is the first such exercise to be held since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump took office.
North Korea has protested against joint drills among the three nations, warning of military action against the previous Freedom Edge drills that have involved US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.