U.S., South Korea and Japan to hold drill as North Korea ramps up pressure on U.S.

FILE - In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, warships of South Korea, the United States and Japan including the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, bottom center, take part in the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise in international waters off South Korea's southern island of Jeju, on Nov. 13, 2024. South Korea Defense Ministry via/AP hide caption toggle caption South Korea Defense Ministry via/AP SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will go ahead with a trilateral military drill next month to better deal with North Korean nuclear threats, officials in Seoul said Friday, a day after North Korea vowed to retaliate against what it called U.S. hostilities. The development further dims prospects for an early resumption of diplomacy between North Korea and the U.S., despite President Donald Trump's recent decision to scale back a major bilateral military drill with South Korea in an apparent goodwill gesture toward the North. South Korea's military said in a statement the Freedom Edge exercise will start on Sept. 7 for a five-day run in the waters off South Korea's southern Jeju Island. It said the exercise is defensive in nature and meant to respond t...