US, South Korea and Japan to proceed with joint drill amid North Korean threats

South Korea, the United States and Japan announced they will go ahead with the Freedom Edge trilateral military exercise beginning on Sept. 7, a five-day drill off Jeju Island aimed at countering North Korean nuclear and missile threats and enhancing regional stability. The exercise, launched in 2024, will feature coordinated air and naval operations to improve ballistic-missile defense, anti-submarine warfare and surveillance capabilities.

North Korean officials have denounced the drill as a “reckless show of strength” and warned of a “serious, immediate and powerful response” to what they described as a series of hostile U.S. actions, including a possible missile sale to South Korea. The country also claimed the exercise signals a U.S. intent to pressure China and Russia.

The decision follows President Donald Trump’s order to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which was ended six days early as a goodwill gesture toward Pyongyang. Trump said he had directed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the drill, citing a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Despite the reduction, the United States maintains its commitment to the alliance with South Korea. > "We remain firmly committed to our longstanding partnership," the U.S. Marine Corps said in response to inquiries, adding that its participation level in the upcoming drill was coordinated with Seoul and unrelated to other exercises.

South Korea’s Marine Corps indicated that a separate biennial amphibious landing drill with the United States may be postponed, citing operational constraints linked to the situation in the Middle East.