South Korea, USA and Japan meet in joint missile exercise

While North Korea's successive missile tests increased security concerns in and around the Korean Peninsula, South Korea, the US and Japan started a joint missile defense exercise in international waters in the East Sea on Monday.

To counter threats from North Korea, the US, South Korea, and Japan agreed to hold regular joint military drills, local media said on Saturday.

The South Korean army announced that it participated in the exercise, in which warships with the Aegis missile defense system took part, with the destroyers ROKS Yulgok Yi I of South Korea, USS Benfold of the USA and JS Atago of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces.

It was learned that the exercise, which includes tracking and detection activities against missile targets and intelligence sharing procedures, was carried out to develop triple security cooperation against North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile threats.

FIRST TIME AFTER 3 YEARS

The Defense Tripartite Talks (DTT) convened for the first time since 2020. In the statement, it was said that DTT has not held a joint exercise for 3 years due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

NORTH KOREA WAS THE FIRST

North Korea announced last week that it had tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said the Hwasong-18 missile would strengthen his country's strategic deterrence and increase its nuclear counterattack capability. State media also described the missile as "the most powerful missile ever developed".

On the other hand, it was publicized that South Korea, the USA and Japan agreed to conduct regular missile defense and submarine exercises against the North Korean threat during the high-level defense talks held in the capital, Washington.

(Ihlas News Agency - AA)