South Korea, US, and Japan Conduct Trilateral Maritime Exercise

South Korea, the United States, and Japan have conducted a trilateral maritime interdiction exercise for the first time in seven years. The two-day exercise, which took place in international waters southeast of the southern resort island of Jeju, focused on intercepting suspected smuggling vessels. It also included anti-piracy drills.

The exercise aimed to strengthen security coordination against North Korean threats and enhance the capabilities of the three countries in deterring and responding to nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. The last maritime interdiction exercise involving these three nations was in 2016, and the last anti-piracy exercise was in 2017. The exercise came after the defense chiefs of South Korea, the US, and Japan agreed to resume trilateral exercises during a meeting in Singapore in June.