(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan to conduct Freedom Edge joint drills in early Sept.

South Korea, the United States, and Japan are set to conduct their annual trilateral military exercise, Freedom Edge, off South Korea's southern coast in early September, according to a statement from Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Friday. The multi-domain drill, scheduled from September 7-11 in international waters east and south of Jeju Island, is defensive in nature and aimed at countering North Korea's nuclear and missile threats while safeguarding regional peace and stability.

This exercise is a key outcome of the trilateral Camp David summit held in August 2023, representing a significant step in institutionalizing security cooperation among the U.S. and its key Asian allies. Following a scaling down of the bilateral Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise by the U.S. and South Korea, concerns were raised about the possibility of the trilateral exercise taking place this year.

However, the U.S. Pacific Command confirmed that the three nations were coordinating to prepare for Freedom Edge, signaling that the drill would be conducted as planned.