North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stated his intention to strengthen the combat readiness of his navy with nuclear capabilities while the United States, Japan, and South Korea conducted their trilateral ballistic missile defense drills. Kim made these remarks during a visit to the North Korean navy headquarters on August 29, emphasizing the need for new weaponry and expanding the tactical nuclear weapons operation. He pledged to make the navy a vital part of the state’s nuclear deterrence and the primary defender of the country’s sovereignty, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim criticized the growing military cooperation between the United States, Japan, and South Korea, accusing them of turning the Korean Peninsula into the world’s largest concentration of war hardware through their joint military exercises. In response, Washington has repeatedly asserted that its joint exercises with South Korea and Japan are defensive in nature and aimed at enhancing alliance commitments and ensuring stability in the region.
On August 29, the three allied nations engaged in a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the East China Sea. The exercise involved the guided-missile destroyers USS Benfold, Japan’s Haguro, and South Korea’s Yulgok Yi I. This joint exercise allowed them to practice connecting networks between the Aegis ships and sharing information on ballistic missiles. The goal of these drills is to strengthen trilateral cooperation in response to regional security threats, considering the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, as stated by Japan’s Defense Ministry.
These trilateral joint exercises occurred after North Korea’s failed attempt to launch a spy satellite into orbit on August 24. This was the second unsuccessful launch in three months, with the first one taking place on May 31. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command condemned the missile launch as a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that could escalate regional tensions and jeopardize security.
Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has conducted over 100 weapons tests, including nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the United States, South Korea, and Japan. The aim of these tests, according to experts, is to pressure the United States into making concessions. As a response, the U.S. and South Korea have increased their military drills, resumed trilateral training with Japan, and heightened the visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula. In July, the United States deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in four decades.
In early August, the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea held their inaugural stand-alone trilateral summit at Camp David. During this summit, they agreed to share real-time information on North Korean missile launches by the end of the year and conduct annual trilateral exercises. This demonstrates their commitment to a coordinated approach in addressing the aggression of China and North Korea.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.