Key facts
- The U.S. Pacific Command is preparing for the 2026 Freedom Edge exercise.
- The exercise is a trilateral military drill involving South Korea and Japan.
- The drills are proceeding despite recent reductions in other U.S.-Seoul combined exercises.
- Freedom Edge is described as a premier multi-domain exercise.
- North Korea has previously criticized such military drills.
The United States is preparing to conduct the 2026 iteration of the Freedom Edge trilateral military exercise with South Korea and Japan, the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) announced. The confirmation comes amid attention on whether the drills would proceed as planned, following U.S. President Donald Trump's directive to reduce the length and scale of the bilateral Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise between Seoul and Washington.
Lt. Cmdr. Chloe Morgan, a PACOM spokesperson, stated that the command is coordinating with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for the exercise. She described Freedom Edge as a "premier multi-domain exercise" aimed at reinforcing shared values, enhancing interoperability, and strengthening defense partnerships for peace and stability in the Pacific. Morgan declined to provide specific details on the scope and scale of this year's drills.
The Freedom Edge exercise is a key outcome of the trilateral Camp David summit in August 2023, institutionalizing security cooperation among the U.S. and its Asian allies. Trump had previously described the scaled-back Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise as potentially sending an "inappropriate and hostile" message to North Korea, while also expressing a desire to resume dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang has consistently denounced military drills involving South Korea and the U.S. as rehearsals for invasion, a stance rejected by the allies who maintain they are defensive in nature. North Korean officials, including Kim Yo-jong and Pak Jong-chon, have previously criticized the drills as aggressive.