US preparing for Freedom Edge joint exercise with S. Korea, Japan: US Pacific Command

The United States is preparing to conduct a trilateral military exercise with South Korea and Japan, the US Pacific Command said Wednesday, suggesting that the drills are on track despite the recent scaling back of a Seoul-Washington combined exercise at US President Donald Trump’s directive.

“In close coordination with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, US Pacific Command is preparing for the 2026 iteration of exercise Freedom Edge,” Lt. Cmdr. Chloe Morgan, a PACOM spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email.

“This premier multi-domain exercise will continue to reinforce our shared values, enhance our shared interoperability and further strengthen our defense partnerships to ensure peace and stability throughout the Pacific,” Morgan said.

She declined to provide further details, including whether this year’s Freedom Edge will be carried out at the same scope and scale as those of the three previous drills, held in June and November of 2024, and in September last year.

The Freedom Edge exercise was one of the key outcomes from the trilateral Camp David summit of the three countries’ leaders in August 2023, marking a significant step forward in institutionalizing the three-way security cooperation among the US and its key Asian allies.

Attention has been drawn to whether Freedom Edge will be conducted this year as planned, as Seoul and Washington scaled back their bilateral Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise by half in its length and scale after Trump ordered the Pentagon to reduce the drills.

Trump described the exercise as potentially sending an “inappropriate and hostile” message to North Korea, a remark that came at the same time he renewed his push to resume dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Pyongyang has decried the military drills involving South Korea and the US as rehearsals for invasion, rejecting the allies’ position that they are defensive in nature.

Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, has called the drills “a reckless show of strength” that will bring “bad results” for Seoul and Washington.

Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said in a statement released September last year that Freedom Edge was the “most offensive war drill for aggression,” threatening to respond with counteraction in a “very clear and intensified way.”

The previous Freedom Edge drills took place in international waters off South Korea’s southern island of Jeju. (Yonhap)