 Naval vessels take part in a joint US–Japan–South Korea drill off Jeju Island, South Korea on August 29, 2023. (Archive photo: Yonhap/VNA) |
The five-day Freedom Edge exercise got underway through Friday in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju, according to the military.
The ongoing exercise is the third round of the trilateral drills, following previous rounds conducted in June and November last year. It is the first such exercise held since President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump took office.
The military earlier said the three countries will aim to increase their interoperability to maintain a "solid and stable" trilateral cooperation through the exercise.
The exercise features training aimed at sharpening ballistic missile defense capabilities, and air defense exercises, medical evacuation training, and maritime interdiction operational training.
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.
