US, Japan, South Korea look at joint military exercises: commander

South Korea is participating for the first time in the annual Cobra Gold exercises, the largest US-led war games in the Pacific that are taking place across Thailand until February 11.

Lieutenant General Benjamin Mixon, commander of the US Army in the Pacific, expected the drills to open the way for South Korea to take part in further exercises.

"We've had discussions with both the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, South Korea and the US about putting together a multilateral or at least trilateral exercises," Mixon told a conference call with bloggers.

Any three-way exercises would focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.

"I think it's a good sign," he said of South Korea's role in the "Cobra Gold" exercises in Thailand.

"It shows a lot of understanding by the South Korean military that they are an important part of peace and stability within the region."

South Korea has been gradually participating in more military drills. Liberal leaders who led South Korea for a decade until 2008 hesitated at many exercises, fearing they would provoke communist neighbor North Korea.