The exercises were the first to be held since 2017, and South Korea joined Japan.
Japan and South Korea joined US forces to conduct missile defense drills offshore of Hawaii. It was the first time that the countries had done so for many years. “challenges”North Korea.
On Monday, the Pentagon declared the almost week-long drills had ended on August 14. It was days later that they were completed on August 14. The Pentagon said the three allies would continue to participate in the exercises. “participated in a missile warning and ballistic missile search and tracking exercise” near the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, part of the multinational ‘Pacific Dragon’ drill.
Although the Defense Department did not provide any additional information about these exercises, they claimed that there were “demonstrated the commitment of the US, [South Korea] and Japan to furthering trilateral cooperation,”Stimulating the “rules-based international order,”As well as answering to “DPRK challenges,” using North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
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South Korea offers North deal to denuclearize
Seoul has also recently stated that it will resume joint live fire drills with US forces later this month. This is after scaling back the exercises due to Pyongyang’s vocal opposition and other limitations connected to the Covid-19 virus outbreak.
South Korean missile defenses have also raised concerns in Beijing, which has repeatedly criticized Seoul’s decision in 2016 to host a US-made Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), arguing it undermines its national security. South Korean officials say they won’t allow Beijing to control their defense policy and reject calls for any THAAD expansions.
As many observers suspect that Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct another nuclear weapon test after a long-standing moratorium, the US and Japan have intensified their military cooperation. In late July, after the US and South Korea suggested they would expand a joint military exercise scheduled for later this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced that Pyongyang’s “nuclear war deterrent”Was “fully ready”Responding to threats is a sign of weakness, further fueling speculation that a future test might be in store.
