South Korea, the US, and Japan have launched the five-day "Freedom Edge" military exercise in waters east and south of Jeju Island, proceeding on schedule despite the US recently ordering a reduction in the scale of drills with South Korea.
On 7 Sep 2026 GMT+7, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that South Korea, the US, and Japan have begun a five-day trilateral joint military exercise, continuing as planned despite the recent US command by President Donald Trump to reduce the scale of joint drills with South Korea.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise has started in international waters east and south of Jeju Island, southern South Korea. The three countries will use this training to enhance their operational and joint response capabilities across multiple domains: maritime, air, and cyber, while maintaining strong and stable security cooperation.
This exercise involves deploying major naval and air forces from the three militaries, with a joint command center overseeing operations to ensure the training proceeds systematically and safely.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized that Freedom Edge is an annual defensive exercise conducted in accordance with international laws and norms, aimed at strengthening deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, while safeguarding peace and stability in the region.
This year's Freedom Edge marks the fourth iteration since its inception in June 2024. It continues as scheduled despite the recent halving of the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) drills by South Korea and the US last month, following President Trump's directive to reduce exercises, viewed as an attempt to show a conciliatory stance toward North Korea.
Source: Yonhap