SEOUL, South Korea (KLTV) - A trilateral military drill involving thousands of U.S., South Korea, and Japanese military personnel begins Monday in the waters near South Korea's Jeju island.

Freedom Edge 26, the fourth such exercise since 2024, looks to expand cooperation between the three nations."This year's iteration features enhanced real-time data sharing and synchronized coordination among all three nations to defend against evolving regional threats," a news release stated.

Earlier this Summer, a meeting of the three countries' defense chiefs pledged expanded security cooperation, including through Freedom Edge drills, to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.