SEOUL, September 7. /TASS/. South Korea, the US, and Japan have begun the trilateral Freedom Edge naval drills in international waters south and east of Jeju Island, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The exercises are taking place in several areas and will also involve air forces. "These maneuvers will enhance the countries' operational and joint response capabilities in various environments, including at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace," the defense officials noted. Freedom Edge will last five days.

Seoul insists that the drills are defensive in nature and are being conducted in accordance with international law. It is unclear exactly which South Korean ships will participate. Seoul assures that the scale of the forces involved will be comparable to last year's.

On August 16, US President Donald Trump reiterated his "good relations" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and announced that he had ordered a reduction in the scale and duration of the Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills with South Korea. It later came to light that the US would not participate in the Ssangyong joint Marine Corps exercises due to the situation in the Middle East.

The first Freedom Edge exercise was held in June 2024, with the second and third iterations taking place in November 2024 and September 2025.