Japan, U.S. and South Korea to hold joint military exercises from Sept. 7

Seoul – Japan, the United States and South Korea will conduct a five-day joint military exercise from Sept. 7 in international waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said.

The three countries’ forces will engage in the Freedom Edge exercise, which was last held in September 2025.

Since its inception in 2024, Freedom Edge has been a multidomain exercise covering maritime, air and cyber operations, including training for ballistic missile defense and antisubmarine warfare.

The announcement came after a U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise launched on Aug. 17 was shortened from 11 days to five days at the instruction of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has taken a conciliatory stance toward North Korea.

If the Japan-U.S.-South Korea exercise goes ahead as planned, North Korea is expected to react strongly, potentially cooling momentum for easing tensions between the United States and North Korea.

Some observers say that unlike the U.S.-South Korea drills that focus on contingencies involving North Korea, the trilateral exercise is also intended as a deterrent against China.

Although details of the upcoming event have not been released, its duration is believed to be roughly the same as before.

The South Korean military stressed that the trilateral exercise is a routine and defensive drill aimed at responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and maintaining regional peace and stability.