US, Japan, South Korea Hold Military Exercise After North Korea Missile Launch
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
SEOUL (Worthy News) – The United States, Japan, and South Korea began the first trilateral “Freedom Edge” military exercise on Thursday, just shortly after nuclear-armed North Korea claimed it successfully test-fired multiple warheads.
In a joint statement, the countries said their “Freedom Edge” moves expressed the will “to promote trilateral interoperability and protect freedom for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula.”
The leaders of the three countries agreed at a summit last August to hold annual military training drills as they seem to project unity amid mounting nuclear threats from North Korea and China’s growing power in the region.
This month’s “Freedom Edge” drills will involve the three countries’ navies and include maritime, anti-submarine warfare, and air defense exercises, said U.S. Rear Admiral Christopher Alexander, commander of the Carrier Strike Group Nine.
“The intent is to improve the interoperability between our navies and ensure that we are ready to respond to any crisis or contingency,” he added, saying Theodore Roosevelt would serve as the drill’s command ship.
Yet the maneuvers were closely watched by authoritarian-ruled North Korea, where state media praised the alleged successful
launching of a missile with multiple warheads. However, South Korea’s military reported it as a “failed launch.”
Yet North Korea’s increased launches come at a time of international concerns about the buildup of its nuclear arsenal.
As of 2024, North Korea is estimated to have an arsenal of about 50 nuclear weapons and sufficient production of fissile material for six to seven atomic weapons annually.
Adding to tensions were North Korea sending again hundreds of trash-laden balloons toward its southern neighbor in a tit-for-tat exchange after South Korean activists sent floating packages in the other direction carrying South Korea’s K-pop and K-dramas on USB sticks.
The balloons have caused severe interruptions of domestic and international flights at South Korea’s main airport in Seoul, the capital.
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