S Korea, US, Japan Planning to Hold Joint Exercise This Weekend - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Seoul is in negotiations with Washington and Tokyo to hold trilateral maritime exercise close to the Korean Peninsula this weekend in response to North Korea's satellite launch, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a source from the South Korean government.

"We're in consultations to conduct joint South Korea-U.S., and South Korea-U.S.-Japan maritime exercises in the southern waters of the Korean Peninsula this weekend," the source was quoted by Yonhap as saying.

The trilateral exercise is reportedly expected to take place on Sunday, with the South Korean naval forces, Japanese maritime self-defense force and the US Navy to be involved. US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which arrived at South Korea's Busan military maritime base on Monday, is also expected to participate in the drill, the news agency added.

The US and South Korea initially planned to hold bilateral drills on Saturday, the report said,

On Tuesday, North Korea successfully carried out the previously announced launch of its Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite and announced plans to launch several more satellites in a "short span of time." In response, South Korea partially suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at reducing tensions on the Korea Peninsula.