Seoul: The naval chiefs of South Korea, the United States, and Japan engaged in a teleconference on Thursday to explore strategies for enhancing trilateral cooperation in response to North Korean threats, the South Korean Navy reported.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo emphasized the importance of strengthening their collaboration during discussions with his counterparts, Adm. James Kilby from the United States and Adm. Akira Saito from Japan. "Through continued cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, North Korea's provocation should be effectively deterred and dealt with, and maritime security capabilities should be strengthened," Yang stated.
The three nations aim to bolster their joint capabilities to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, having already conducted trilateral drills, including the multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise, as part of these efforts. In March, they carried out joint naval drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, marking the first such exercise of the year and since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January.