In a coordinated effort aimed at enhancing readiness against potential nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and the United States carried out long-planned joint naval exercises, Seoul’s navy disclosed on Friday.
As tensions simmer with North Korea’s accelerated weapons development, including recent tests of solid-fuel hypersonic missiles, leader Kim Jong Un’s remarks on heightened war preparedness have underscored the region’s geopolitical instability.
The drills, spanning two days and held in international waters between South Korea and Japan, featured the participation of the American aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt along with destroyers Howard, Russell, and Daniel Inouye, alongside naval assets from the Asian nations.
According to South Korea’s navy, the exercises encompassed anti-submarine warfare drills geared towards bolstering responses to North Korean underwater threats, including those posed by submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
This joint training initiative, intended to enhance their collective ability to counter North Korea’s provocations, aligns with a comprehensive joint exercise plan established subsequent to last year’s trilateral summit, as highlighted by the South Korean navy.
Moreover, the naval forces engaged in maritime interdiction exercises aimed at thwarting North Korea’s illicit transportation of weapons of mass destruction, alongside search and rescue operations aimed at aiding distressed vessels.
Meanwhile, in Washington, South Korean and US defense officials convened for annual defense discussions on Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to conducting tabletop exercises simulating North Korea’s potential use of a nuclear weapon during upcoming summer drills, as confirmed by Seoul’s defense ministry.
Following the Camp David summit in August last year, leaders from the three nations agreed to conduct annual, multi-domain exercises, exchange real-time information on North Korean missile launches, and establish a crisis communication hotline, underscoring their joint efforts to address regional security challenges.
