South Korea, US, Japan Conduct Joint Air Exercises

Seoul, 18 Jun (ONA) --- South Korea, the United States and Japan today held combined air drills in an effort to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation against North Korean threats.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, citing a statement from the South Korean Air Force, explained that this is the first joint air exercise among the three countries since President Lee Jae Myung took office earlier this month.

"The drills were conducted to bolster South Korea-US-Japan security cooperation to deter North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," it said.

The air exercise, which took place over waters off the southern island of Jeju, involved two South Korean F-15K fighter jets, six US F-16 fighters and two Japanese F-2 fighters.

The Air Force said it plans to continue to conduct such trilateral drills on the back of a firm South Korea-US alliance. The three countries last conducted joint air drills, involving two US B-1B bombers, on 15 January 2025.

--- Ends/Khalid