South Korea, U.S., Japan conduct first trilateral maritime interdiction drill in 7 years

The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered super carrier, in this file photo dated Aug. 31, 2015. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

South Korea, the United States and Japan held a maritime interdiction drill in the high seas southeast of Jeju on Tuesday, marking the first trilateral drill of its kind in seven years.

“The training focused on improving the deterrence and response capabilities of South Korea, the United States, and Japan against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, and enhancing trilateral maritime operation capabilities to respond to maritime security threats and establish a rules-based international order,” the South Korean Navy said in a statement Tuesday.

A follow-up to the trilateral summit in Camp David in August, when the three countries agreed to launch a series of joint programs on defense and technology, the drill ran from Monday to Tuesday. It was joined by the destroyer ROKS Yulgok Yi I, combat support ship ROKS Cheonji, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the Aegis-equipped destroyer USS Shoup and Japan’s helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga.

The last trilateral maritime interdiction drill was held in 2016.

Capt. Jang Hoon, commander of the Maritime Task Squadron 72, said the training was an opportunity to strengthen the trilateral ability “to respond to North Korea’s maritime transportation of weapons of mass destruction.”

The latest exercise also included a counter-piracy drill, the first trilateral drill of that kind since 2017.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is scheduled to enter the operational base in Busan on Thursday to highlight U.S. extended deterrence in the region and mark the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U. S. alliance.

Earlier on Sunday, naval commanders from Korea, the United States and Japan met on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the high seas southeast of Jeju.

Following the meeting with Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, and Vice Adm. Saito Akira, commander of the Japanese Self-Defense Fleet, South Korea’s fleet commander, Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo, stressed the importance of trilateral security cooperation to counter the North’s maritime and nuclear threats.

“It will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the joint defense posture for an immediate, overwhelming, and decisive response to North Korea’s continued provocations, such as the recent launch of North Korea’s new submarine and North Korea’s declaration of relaunching its claimed space launch vehicle,” Kim said in a statement released by the Defense Ministry on Tuesday.

North Korea has announced plans for a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite into space in October. The North’s previous attempts in May and August failed.

“The space development including military reconnaissance satellite is an indispensable strategic option for guaranteeing the security interests and right to existence of the DPRK,” said Ri Song-jin, a researcher of the National Aerospace Technology Administration of North Korea, in an English statement printed by state media Korea Central News Agency on Tuesday.

The DPRK is the acronym of North Korea’s full name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]