South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold their trilateral multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise this month.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said on Friday that the exercise will be held from September 15 to 19 in international waters east and south of Jeju Island.

The JCS said the three countries will strengthen their multi-domain operational capabilities in areas including the sea, air, and cyberspace and enhance interoperability to maintain a robust and stable trilateral cooperation.

It also stressed that the drills are an annual exercise aimed at responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and guarding regional peace and stability, while adhering to international law and regulations.

Freedom Edge takes its name from two existing exercises: Freedom Shield, an annual joint exercise conducted by South Korea and the United States, and Keen Edge, a joint exercise between the U.S. and Japan. 

The trilateral exercise was first conducted in June last year in the Southern waters of Jeju Island, followed by a second round in November.