SEOUL - South Korea, the United States and Japan on Thursday kicked off their first multi-domain exercise in waters off southern South Korea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The exercise will focus on ballistic missile defense, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, maritime interdiction, and defensive cyber training, according to the JCS

The JCS said in a statement that the inaugural trilateral multi-domain exercise, named Freedom Edge, will continue in international waters from Thursday to Saturday.

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The exercise will focus on ballistic missile defense, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, maritime interdiction, and defensive cyber training, according to the JCS.

The three countries will continue to expand the Freedom Edge exercise, the JCS added.