South Korea says no changes to trilateral military drills with US, Japan after North Korea criticism

Seoul, Sep 1

South Korea's military on Tuesday reaffirmed that the upcoming combined exercise with the United States and Japan will go ahead as scheduled, following North Korea's renewed criticism branding the drills as evolving hostility toward the regime.

A spokesperson from the North's foreign ministry on Monday slammed the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise, set for September 7-11, warning that it is "pointless" to expect an easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula so long as Washington maintains its hostile policy toward Pyongyang, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"This exercise is an annual defensive drill conducted by South Korea, the US, and Japan to counter North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and safeguard regional peace and stability," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Captain Jang Do-young said in a press briefing.

"There are no changes to the schedule so far," he said.

The three countries announced last week they will conduct the multidomain combined exercise in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju.

Freedom Edge, set for its fourth iteration this year, is seen as symbolising enhanced trilateral security cooperation among the three nations as a key outcome of the Camp David leaders' summit in August 2023.

Some experts view Pyongyang's latest statement as a test to gauge whether US President Donald Trump would be willing to modify a military commitment with Seoul to resume dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Seoul and Washington recently scaled back their Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise last month after Trump ordered the Pentagon to "significantly" reduce the drills.

North Korea has strongly denounced the allies' joint military drills as war rehearsals.

The Freedom Edge exercise was one of the key outcomes from the trilateral Camp David summit of the three countries' leaders in August 2023, marking a significant step forward in institutionalising the three-way security cooperation among the US and its key Asian allies.

The three previous Freedom Edge exercises were held in June and November of 2024, and in September last year.