US, Japan, South Korea to conduct first ever “Freedom Edge” exercise
(VOVWORLD) -South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and his counterparts Lloyd Austin and Minoru Kihara have agreed to launch a trilateral exercise called "Freedom Edge" this summer.
 Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru (left) with his American counterparts Lloyd Austin (center) and South Korean Shin Won-sik at a meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 2, 2024. Photo: Kyodo/VNA
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“Freedom” is the first word in the name of the bilateral joint exercise “Freedom Shield” between the US and South Korea, while “Edge” is the last word in the name of “Keen Edge” exercise between the US and Japan.
The agreement was reached during Sunday meeting of the defense ministers of the US, Japan and South Korea who discussed measures to strengthen trilateral security cooperation by expanding the scale of joint exercises this year. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore late last week.
The "Freedom Edge" exercise will involve air and maritime defense, anti-submarine, underwater threats and cyber exercises. But the Korean Ministry of Defense did not mention the specific time and location of the exercise.