US, South Korea, Japan begin trilateral military exercise ‘Freedom Edge’

Seoul (South Korea), September 15, 2025: South Korea, the United States, and Japan on Monday kicked off a five-day trilateral military drill named Freedom Edge, aimed at strengthening cooperation across multiple domains.

The exercise, running from September 15 to 19, is taking place in international waters east and south of Jeju Island, South Korea’s southernmost territory, according to military officials cited by Yonhap.

This marks the third edition of the joint exercise, with earlier rounds held in June and November last year. Notably, it is the first time the drills are being conducted under the leadership of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump.

Military officials said the goal of Freedom Edge is to boost interoperability and reinforce “solid and stable” trilateral security coordination. The US Indo-Pacific Command noted that the drills reflect the three nations’ “shared commitment to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Training sessions during the exercise include ballistic missile defense, air defense operations, maritime interdiction, and medical evacuation drills. Meanwhile, North Korea has condemned the move. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official of the ruling Workers’ Party, labeled the exercise a “reckless show of strength” and warned of “negative consequences” for the US, Japan, and South Korea if such displays of force continue near the Korean Peninsula, Al Jazeera reported.

In addition to Freedom Edge, Seoul and Washington are preparing to conduct another drill next week, called Iron Mace. This tabletop exercise is designed to integrate conventional and nuclear strategies to counter North Korea’s growing threats. South Korea currently hosts around 28,500 US troops.

Iron Mace will be the first of its kind under President Trump and President Lee, both of whom have signaled interest in reopening dialogue with Pyongyang.