Advertisement
South Korea
AsiaEast Asia
South Korea, Japan and US set joint drills despite Trump cuts
The three countries will proceed with the multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise near Jeju Island
2-MIN READ2-MIN
Listen
Agence France-Presse
Published: 11:35am, 28 Aug 2026
Updated: 2:51pm, 28 Aug 2026
South Korea said on Friday it would hold joint military exercises with the United States and Japan in September, after Washington scaled back annual drills with Seoul in an apparent bid to encourage dialogue with North Korea.
The three countries would conduct the North Korea-focused Freedom Edge exercise from September 7 to 11 in international waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
“This exercise is a defensive drill conducted annually by the three countries to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and safeguard peace and stability in the region,” the JCS said in a statement
The multi-domain exercise is expected to include maritime missile defence, air and air-defence drills, anti-submarine warfare and cyber defence, according to Seoul’s Yonhap news agency
Pyongyang had previously slammed the trilateral drill as a “reckless show of strength” that showed its adversaries’ confrontational stance against it. It also said the drill contained a US intention to lay siege to China and exert pressure on Russia
Freedom Edge was first held in June 2024 following an agreement reached by the leaders of the three countries at their Camp David summit in 2023
“This premier multi-domain exercise will continue to reinforce our shared values, enhance our shared interoperability and further strengthen our defence partnerships to ensure peace and stability throughout the Pacific,” said a spokeswoman for the United States Pacific Command, Yonhap reported on Wednesday
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
0.8x
0.9x
1.0x
1.1x
1.2x
1.5x
1.75x
00:00
00:00
1.00x
