Seoul (TDI): South Korea and the United States are set to carry out a major joint military exercise later this month aimed at reinforcing their defensive posture in the face of persistent threats from North Korea.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, scheduled for August 18 to 28, will include a combination of large-scale field training and computer-based simulations. South Korean military officials said roughly 18,000 of their troops will participate, while the number of US personnel has not been publicly disclosed.
The announcement comes at a sensitive time, with diplomatic ties between North Korea and the West largely frozen since 2019. Pyongyang has responded aggressively to similar exercises in the past, accusing Seoul and Washington of rehearsing an invasion, a claim both allies strongly deny. Analysts expect North Korea may react with fresh weapons tests or military displays.
Colonel Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that the scope of the drills remains consistent with previous years, though some of the originally planned 40 field training operations have been delayed until September due to intense summer heat.
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Speaking alongside US Forces Korea spokesperson Col. Ryan Donald, Lee emphasized that the exercises will focus heavily on countering North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile capabilities. They will also include training on responses to drones, GPS jamming, cyber warfare, and lessons learned from recent global conflicts like the war in Ukraine and the Middle East tensions involving Iran and Israel.
Col. Donald reaffirmed that the drills are designed to test the resilience of the US-South Korea alliance. “We’re preparing our forces for real-world scenarios, ensuring they’re ready to deter aggression from North Korea and respond to wider regional security challenges.”
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Tensions have been heightened further by remarks from Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who recently dismissed the South’s outreach for renewed dialogue. She also criticized Seoul’s “blind loyalty” to Washington, echoing Pyongyang’s pivot toward deepening ties with Russia, including reports of military aid to Moscow.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
