South Korea, the US, and Japan launch joint naval exercises
South Korea, the United States, and Japan have initiated trilateral naval exercises under the codename “Freedom Edge.”
According to information reported by sea-news.az citing the Yonhap news agency, the announcement was released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces.
The drills are taking place in international waters located south and east of Jeju Island and are scheduled to last for five days.
The joint maneuvers encompass a broad spectrum of operations, including naval and air activities, alongside specialized operations in the cyber domain.
South Korean officials emphasized that the exercises are purely defensive in nature and strictly comply with international legal standards. Seoul also noted that the scale of the deployed forces is comparable to the previous iterations of the “Freedom Edge” maneuvers.
Notably, the inaugural phase of the “Freedom Edge” exercises took place in June 2024, with subsequent phases following in November 2024 and September 2025.
The trilateral drills are being conducted against the backdrop of strengthening security cooperation and military alignment among the three nations in East Asia.
