JS CHOKAI, JS ASHIGARA conducted a Japan-U.S.-ROK trilateral exercise

On October 6, the JS CHOKAI and JS ASHIGARA conducted a Japan-U.S.-ROK trilateral exercise in the Sea of Japan with USS CHANCELLORSVILLE, USS BENFOLD and the ROK Navy ROKS SEJONG DAEWANG to improve our tactical capabilities including ballistic missile defense and strengthen cooperation with the U.S. Navy and the ROK Navy.
This exercise demonstrates the commitment of Japan, the U.S. and the ROK to　furthering trilateral cooperation to respond to regional security challenges amid an increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, including North Korea's ballistic missile launch over Japan, protecting shared security and prosperity, and bolstering the rules-based international order.
The repeated launch of ballistic missiles and further nuclear development by North Korea are clear violations of UN Security Council resolutions and threaten the peace and stability of East Asia and the international community, and are absolutely unacceptable.
The Self-Defense Fleet maintains a readiness and continues to take all possible measures for surveillance, and intelligence gathering, including ballistic missile defense, and strives to protect the lives and property of the Japanese people in close cooperation with allied and friendly navies.