South Korea, the U.S. and Japan begin military exercises
The Republic of Korea (ROK), the United States and Japan have begun the trilateral naval exercises Freedom Edge in international waters south and east of Jeju Island.
This was reported by the Yonhap agency, citing the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The exercises are taking place in several domains, and aviation will also be involved. "The countries will use these maneuvers to enhance operational potential and joint response capabilities in various environments, including sea, air and cyberspace," the committee stated.
Freedom Edge will last five days.
Seoul insists that the exercises are defensive in nature and are being conducted in accordance with international law. It has not been specified exactly which ships will participate on the ROK's side. Seoul assures that the scale of the forces involved will be comparable to last year.
