North Korea has reacted strongly against the agreement by the top military officials of South Korea, the United States, and Japan to strengthen trilateral security cooperation, including the continued implementation of the trilateral joint military exercise "Freedom Edge," labeling it a "source that destroys peace and stability" on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense issued a statement today (July 18), claiming that the move is an "unchanging hostile intent by the U.S., Japan, and South Korea to secure military superiority in the region and pursue their hegemonic geopolitical interests through strengthened trilateral military coordination," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The spokesperson stated, "We sound an alarm regarding the dangers of the provocative trilateral military coordination by the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, which creates concerns of military confrontation and potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula, and we issue a stern warning regarding the negative consequences this will bring to the regional security environment."
Referring to the South Korea-U.S. combined air exercise "Buddy Wing" held at Osan Air Base and the multinational maritime exercise "RIMPAC 2026" held in Hawaii, the spokesperson argued, "The serious security challenges posed by the trilateral military coordination of the U.S., Japan, and South Korea to the Korean Peninsula and the broader region can never be overlooked."
The spokesperson reaffirmed their "position to deter the military maneuvers of hostile nations through responsible will and effective practical actions, and to thoroughly manage the security environment of the Korean Peninsula region."
The spokesperson also reiterated the stance of maintaining the line of strengthening nuclear forces as stipulated in the constitution.
"We will never allow the imbalance of power in the region, which is being forced by the military collusion of the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, from a position of powerful strength," the spokesperson added. "We will always remain faithful to our constitutional mission to neutralize realistic security challenges and prospective threats, and to reliably safeguard the safety of the state and peace in the region."
Previously, South Korean JCS Chairman Jin Young-seung, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane, and Japan's Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Hiroaki Uchikura met in Washington, D.C., on the 15th (local time) to discuss trilateral security cooperation measures, including the implementation of the trilateral multi-domain joint military exercise "Freedom Edge."
(Photo: Provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Yonhap News)