Anticipating North Korean Threats: US, Japan And South Korea Hold Missile Defense Exercises In Hawaii

Illustration of a joint missile launch exercise by the United States and South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Sinthia Rosario)

JAKARTA - The United States, South Korea, and Japan are set to hold joint missile search and tracking exercises in Hawaiian waters next August, to increase their readiness to deal with North Korean threats, sources said on Tuesday.

The biennial 'Pacific Dragon' exercise is scheduled to run from August 1 to 14, as the three countries seek to increase security cooperation, amid tensions caused by North Korea's recent missile launches.

In addition, the plan cannot be separated from speculation that North Korea could conduct a nuclear weapons test in the coming weeks, which would be the first since 2017 if realized.

South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, along with Lloyd Austin of the United States and Nobuo Kishi of Japan, agreed to hold trilateral exercises consistently during their talks on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore.

The drills will continue on the occasion of the US-led Pacific Rim Exercise (RIMPAC), which is scheduled to run from June 29 to August 4. At RIMPAC, the three countries will deploy naval warships, personnel, and other assets.

In this year's edition of the Pacific Dragon exercise, Canada and Australia are also expected to participate, the source said, as reported by the Korea Times on June 14.

In addition to the missile tracking drills, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are expected to hold their quarterly joint missile warning drills later this year, as agreed during talks the three defense ministers had last weekend.