S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold air drills, discuss security cooperation

Also on Friday, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan conducted joint air drills, and held high-level talks in Seoul to strengthen deterrence against North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities.

Park Jun-han has the details.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced on Friday that it had held a combined air exercise with aircraft from the U.S. and Japan in a joint response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

Joint drills were held over international waters south of Jeju Island, and marked the first deployment of a B-52H strategic bomber to the Korean Peninsula this year, and the second trilateral air exercise under the Lee Jae Myung administration.

The exercise coincided with the 2025 Trilateral Chiefs of Defense Meeting, held at the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul.

Notably, it marked the first visit to South Korea in 15 years by Japan's chief of staff.

In the meeting, the three countries discussed strengthening their trilateral, multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise, and condemned North Korea's continued involvement in nuclear and missile development, as well as its growing military cooperation with Russia.

Top military leaders — South Korea's JCS Chairman Admiral Kim Myung-soo , U.S. JCS Chairman General Dan Caine , and Japan's Joint Chief, Chief of Staff General Yoshihide Yoshida mentioned cooperation, deterrence, and regional security as their key agenda items.

"In the face of North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats, it is critical to sustain and sustain and build on the momentum of trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan."

"The DPRK and China are undergoing an unprecedented military build-up with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas."

"As the situation in the Indo-Pacific region is becoming increasingly complex, uncertain and ambiguous, we will use this meeting as a starting point to further develop our cooperation so that trilateral cooperation can become a key pillar for peace and stability in the region."

Following their remarks, the three leaders held a closed-door meeting before issuing a joint statement.

They also visited the Republic of Korea Navy's 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do Province, to pay tribute to the 46 sailors lost in the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan in 2010.

Park Jun-han, Arirang News.