Seoul: South Korea, the United States, and Japan are set to commence their second trilateral multi-domain exercise on Wednesday, as announced by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to bolster security cooperation in response to North Korea's growing alignment with Russia. According to Yonhap News Agency, the three-day exercise will be held in international waters south of South Korea's Jeju Island, approximately four months after the inaugural exercise. This drill follows an agreement made by the leaders of the three nations last year. It will involve the mobilization of warships and aircraft from the participating countries, including the U.S. Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier, South Korea's ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong destroyer, and Japan's JS Haguro destroyer. The JCS stated that the exercise will cover various areas such as air defense, ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, and defensive cyber training. The nations have condemned North Korea's provocative actions, such as the recent test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which they view as threats to peace and stability in the region. The exercise is seen as a demonstration of their commitment to deter and respond to such threats. North Korea recently launched the Hwasong-19 ICBM, describing it as the "ultimate" version of its long-range missile series. The missile achieved the highest altitude and longest flight time to date. The drills are occurring amid growing concerns about North Korea's possible troop deployment to Russia, which could affect Moscow's ongoing conflict with Ukraine. In August of the previous year, during a summit at Camp David, leaders from the three countries agreed to conduct annual, named, multidomain trilateral exercises. This agreement aims to address evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Furthermore, in July, the defense chiefs of the nations signed the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, solidifying their commitment to regular joint drills and enhanced security cooperation.