South Korea and the United States are set to commence their annual large-scale military exercise this month, a move designed to bolster readiness against escalating North Korean threats. The joint drills are, however, likely to provoke an angry response from Pyongyang, further straining diplomatic efforts.
Named Ulchi Freedom Shield, the exercise is scheduled to run from August 18 to 28. It represents the second major annual drill conducted in South Korea, following a similar set of manoeuvres in March. Typically, these exercises involve thousands of troops participating in both computer-simulated command post training and combined field exercises.
North Korea consistently denounces such joint drills as rehearsals for invasion. Historically, Pyongyang has leveraged these exercises as a pretext to escalate military demonstrations and conduct weapons tests, all aimed at advancing its nuclear programme.
Doubling down on its nuclear ambitions, North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its weapons program, which derailed in 2019. The North has now made Russia the priority of its foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
About 18,000 South Korean troops will take part in this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Col. Lee Sung Joon, said during a joint briefing with U.S. Forces Korea, which did not disclose the number of participating U.S. troops.
Both Col. Lee and U.S. Forces Korea public affairs director Col. Ryan Donald downplayed speculation that South Korea’s new liberal government, led by President Lee Jae Myung, sought to downsize the exercise to create momentum for dialogue with Pyongyang, saying its scale is similar to previous years. However, Col. Lee said about half of the exercise’s originally planned 40 field training programs were postponed to September due to heat concerns.
The threat posed by North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile programs will be a key focus of the exercise, which will also incorporate lessons from recent conflicts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and the clash between Israel and Iran, Col. Lee and Col. Donald said. The exercise will also address threats from drones, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, they said.
