South Korea’s military announced on Friday (Sept 5) that South Korea, Japan, and the United States will begin their annual Freedom Edge defensive drills on Sept 15 to strengthen aerial, naval, and cyber capabilities against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the exercise is aimed at reinforcing regional peace and stability and will be carried out in line with international law. However, no specifics were given on troop numbers or equipment to be used.

The drills come after last month’s large-scale 10-day mobilization exercise by South Korean and US forces to test defence readiness, which North Korea denounced as evidence of hostile intentions. The announcement also follows the high-profile participation of the leaders of North Korea, Russia, and China in a major military parade in Beijing this week, highlighting China’s military power and signaling solidarity against the West.

During the visit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, reaffirming support for China’s interests and seeking to strengthen economic ties with Beijing, his country’s key benefactor. Kim also held separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, South Korea’s defence ministry confirmed that Japan’s defence minister and the chair of NATO’s Military Committee will join the Seoul Defence Dialogue, a gathering of senior global military officials, starting Monday.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.