S. Korea, Japan and US to hold North Korea-focused nuclear missile drill
The defensive-in-nature military exercises test readiness against Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear weapons threats.
South Korea, Japan, and the United States are set to conduct a trilateral military drill from September 9 to 11, aimed at testing their readiness against North Korea's missile and nuclear threats. The drills, known as Freedom Edge, will take place in international waters south and east of South Korea's southern island of Jeju, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The annual exercise is defensive in nature and was announced by South Korea on Friday.
The trilateral drill comes after US President Donald Trump reduced a major joint exercise with South Korea, and later canceled a joint Marine Corps drill scheduled for the following month. Trump reportedly cited Seoul's refusal to offer assistance during the Iran war as one of the reasons for the drill cancellations. He also claimed that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills this month sent the wrong message to North Korea.
Trump has been actively pursuing a new summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, having previously met him in 2018 and 2019.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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