SEOUL: The United States, South Korea, and Japan have jointly conducted naval exercise in waters south of the Korean Peninsula after North Korea’s recent launch of a hypersonic missile, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated on Wednesday.
The joint drill took place in southeastern waters off Jeju Island involving 9 warships of the three countries, including the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, from Monday to Wednesday, the statement maintained.
It added that Aegis combat system-equipped destroyers of South Korean Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kongo-class destroyers also joined the maritime drill.
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According to official news agency of South Korea, the drill began a day following North Korea test-fired a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile carrying a hypersonic warhead into the East Sea in its first missile launch in 2024.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea said that drill is aimed at boost the three countries’ deterrence and response abilities against North Korea’s missile and nuclear threat as well as maritime threats.
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It added that the exercise also focused on responding to maritime security threats, including transporting arms of mass destruction, and enhancing the trilateral cooperation in establishing the rules-based global order.
It marks the first trilateral exercise held following Washington and its Asian partners launched a real-time sharing system for North Korea’s missile launches and also agreed to jointly establish a multiyear exercise plan to better counter N Korea’s evolving threat.
The recent exercise came amid heightened security concerns after the North Korea’s latest test-firing of a hypersonic missile.
Earlier, local media reported that the US and South Korea agreed to start early talks on the cost of keeping US forces in the country in a bid to reach an understanding ahead of the possible reelection of Trump as president.
