US, Japan, SK To Hold Joint Training To Counter North Korea Threat

Wires carrying comments attributed to the defence chiefs of Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The chiefs condemn North Korea's test of ballistic missiles, and agree both to accelerate missile tracking cooperation and hold training as defence measures against threats from Pyongyang.

• The statements come as part of an increasingly close tripartite relationship between the three countries following on from the summit held between PM Fumio Kishida, President Yoon Suk-yeol and President Joe Biden at Camp David in August.
• For the US, a more amicable relationship between Tokyo and Seoul comes as a major boost to its security outlook in northeast Asia. When relations have been poor, the US has had to tiptoe around the issue and engage in similar but separate military exercises. Joint exercises though can prove more advantageous for developing capabilities as well as exhibiting military strength in the region.