South Korea prepares for joint US-Japan military exercises, downplaying the possibility that North Korea will talk to the Washington administration?

South Korea announced it will hold a three-day joint military exercise with the United States and Japan, and said North Korea will not talk to the United States during its military cooperation with Russia.

The US aircraft carrier USS George Washington will participate in the 'Freedom Edge' exercise with South Korea and Japan from November 13. (Source: US Department of Defense )

Reuters news agency said that fighter jets and maritime patrol aircraft from South Korea and Japan, as well as the US aircraft carrier USS George Washington, will participate in the "Freedom Edge" exercise from November 13.

The exercise also includes maritime missile defense training and cyber defense training, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The drills come as the US State Department says North Korean troops have begun taking part in combat operations in Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.

Japan's Kyodo news agency on November 12 quoted a senior Ukrainian government official as saying that there are currently about 50,000 Russian and North Korean soldiers deployed to the Kursk region and are fighting against Ukrainian forces.

As Russia and North Korea tighten cooperation, on the same day, Secretary General of the South Korean Advisory Council for Peaceful Unification Tae Yong-ho commented that Pyongyang will not dialogue with Washington during this time.

According to him, North Korea is currently focusing on relations with Russia and Chairman Kim Jong Un may return to relations with China after the conflict in Ukraine ends.

Secretary-General Tae Yong-ho called on the US administration to make clear that the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is a top priority and cannot be compromised.

The statement came amid speculation that US President-elect Donald Trump may restore his personal foreign policy towards North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after taking office in January 2025.

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