South Korea, US, Japan hold air drills as Seoul seeks dialogue with North Korea

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea, the US, and Japan held joint air drills on Wednesday, the first since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took office earlier this month, amid renewed efforts by Seoul to restore ties with North Korea.

The exercise, conducted over waters near South Korea’s southern island of Jeju, featured two South Korean F-15K fighter jets, six US F-16 fighters, and two Japanese F-2 jets, according to South Korea’s Air Force, cited by Yonhap News.

It was the first trilateral air drill since Jan. 15 and comes after South Korea's Lee vowed to “stop the exhausting hostilities” with North Korea and revive inter-Korean dialogue.

On June 12, Lee said his administration would “make every effort to promote peace, coexistence, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.”

South Korea’s Air Force said the drills were designed to enhance security cooperation among the three countries in response to North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.

“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,” the air force said in a statement.

It added that similar joint drills would continue, supported by the “firm South Korea-US alliance.”