South Korea hosts US, Japan for joint air and naval exercise Freedom Edge

"The manoeuvres, known as Freedom Edge, began off South Korea's Jeju Island on Monday and will last until Friday. The US Indo-Pacific Command said the exercises, which will involve enhanced ballistic-missile and air-defence scenarios, would be the most advanced demonstration of trilateral defence cooperation to date. Meanwhile, the South Korean Defence Ministry said it would improve the allies' ability to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, according to The Associated Press news agency."

"There have been protests in Seoul on Monday against the military exercises. In comments published by North Korean state media on Sunday, leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister hit out at what she called South Korea, Japan and the US's reckless show of strength in the wrong places. Kim Yo Jong, who is vice department director of the North Korean governing party's central committee, threatened that their joint military drills would undoubtedly bring about negative consequences for themselves."

The Freedom Edge trilateral exercises began off Jeju Island and will run for several days, focusing on enhanced ballistic-missile and air-defence scenarios. The US Indo-Pacific Command described the drills as the most advanced demonstration of trilateral defence cooperation to date. South Korea said the exercises aim to improve allied ability to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Protests occurred in Seoul against the exercises. North Korea, through Kim Yo Jong and state media, condemned the drills as a reckless show of strength and warned of negative consequences, while reiterating its irreversible nuclear-weapons position.

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