Why Trump cut ROK-US drills, but not three-way drills with Japan

SEOUL, Sept 7 — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared his country's navy will be equipped with nuclear weapons, according to state media, as US allies prepare to launch maritime drills in the region. These joint exercises, involving Japan, South Korea, and the United States, had been initiated in 2023 as a response to North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

At the commissioning of the Kang Kon warship, which partially capsized during its launch in May 2025, Kim emphasized the importance of developing the navy into a nuclear-armed force. He stated that the diversified and effective operation of nuclear combat systems should be ready for actual war, and that the new-generation destroyer would deliver a lethal counterattack to enemies upon command. Photos of the ceremony showed Kim with his daughter Ju Ae, who is reportedly designated as his successor.

Earlier this month, Kim oversaw a test of the Kang Kon, one of two 5,000-tonne class warships launched last year, just over a year after the ship was damaged during its launch. This week's US allies' drills, named Freedom Edge, are scheduled to take place in international waters east and south of South Korea's Jeju Island. The maneuvers are set to run until Friday.

The drills have proceeded despite former President Donald Trump curtailing another set of exercises with South Korea, aiming to reopen diplomacy with Pyongyang regarding the country's nuclear program. However, North Korea has shown little willingness to engage in dialogue, continuing to fire missiles and condemning the downsized drills, as well as Washington's approval of arms sales to South Korea and plans to fund documentaries about human rights abuses in the North.

Since a 2019 summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi, which collapsed over the scope of denuclearization and sanctions relief, Pyongyang has consistently declared itself a "irreversible" nuclear state.