The United States, Japan and South Korea are to stage joint naval drills next week in waters around the Korean peninsula.
The United States, Japan and South Korea are to stage joint naval drills next week in waters around the Korean peninsula.
A US Defense official reported the three-nation drills as he gave few details about the move, calling it "increasingly common" and "designed to strength
en coordination and improve readiness to respond to situations such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief".
"Next week, in waters around the Korean peninsula, the USS George Washington Strike Group will conduct a trilateral maritime exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force," he said.
The announcement comes as US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry were in Tokyo to meet their Japanese counterparts following talks with South Korean officials this week.
It also comes a day after the United States and South Korea said they had mapped out a new strategy to counter the growing threat of a North Korean nuclear or chemical weapons attack.
