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Naval forces of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea will conduct a two-day joint drill next week in the waters south of the Korean Peninsula, raising concerns over regional stability.

The two-day drill, scheduled to start on Thursday in waters off the ROK's southern island of Jeju, will involve training in search and rescue operations and maritime interdiction operations, the ROK Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Destroyers and anti-submarine helicopters will be mobilized for what officials call an exercise "of a humanitarian nature", the ministry said.

This is the first time that Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force troops have conducted a drill in related waters with the US and ROK naval forces.

Japan's military personnel have participated in joint US-ROK maneuvers as observers.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, based at the port of Yokosuka in Japan, is expected to take part in the drill, Kyodo News Agency said.

The Pentagon said the drill will focus on "improving interoperability and communications" to facilitate "cooperative disaster relief and maritime security activities" in the future.

The three countries "will conduct this exercise beyond the territorial waters of any coastal nation", it added.

But the joint operation is also intended to pressure Pyongyang to refrain from escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Japan's Jiji Press news agency said.

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