South Korea, U.S., Japan begin 'Freedom Edge' military exercise in South Korean waters

The exercise, named 'Freedom Edge,' began in South Korean waters on September 7, 2026, with participation from South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The exercise includes naval maneuvers and air patrols, reflecting a coordinated effort to enhance interoperability and readiness. The exact duration and scope of the drills were not specified in the reports, though they are expected to last several days. All three sources confirmed the start of the exercise, with Yonhap News Agency and Mehr News Agency providing similar accounts of the event. TASS, however, explicitly named the exercise 'Freedom Edge,' a detail not included in the other reports. There are no reported divergences in the factual details of the exercise's initiation, though the naming convention differs slightly between sources.