Seoul: South Korea and the United States are set to commence a significant annual joint military exercise next week aimed at enhancing their combined defense capabilities amidst North Korean military threats, as announced by both nations on Thursday. The exercise, termed Freedom Shield, is scheduled to occur from Monday through March 20 and will incorporate computer-simulated drills and on-field training.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the joint statement from the militaries of South Korea and the United States outlined that the exercise will involve combined joint all-domain live field training exercises across the land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. These exercises are integrated within the scenarios to strengthen interoperability between the two nations. The goal is to fortify the allies' combined defense posture in light of realistic threats and evolving challenges, including North Korea's increasing military collaboration with Russia.
South Korea plans to deploy approximately 19,000 troops for the exercise. The allies intend to conduct 16 large-scale on-field drills, a rise from 10 last year, as stated by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This exercise marks the first major military drill for the allies since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office in January.
During a joint press conference, the U.S. military reiterated its security commitment to South Korea despite President Trump's previous criticisms of such drills as costly war games. Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), emphasized the strong commitment to the Republic of Korea and the ongoing efforts in the Freedom Shield 2025 initiative to build readiness and capabilities to defend against any threat.
JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun highlighted that the exercise would focus on training to counter North Korea's growing nuclear threats. However, he did not confirm whether the exercise would involve a scenario of the North using nuclear weapons. The exercise will also feature a martial law scenario, modified to center on military measures, reflecting public opposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol's previous attempt to impose martial law.
Questions about changes to ongoing efforts for the transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea under the new U.S. administration were not directly answered by the USFK spokesperson. Lee mentioned that efforts for the transfer are ongoing, with a joint evaluation planned during the upcoming exercise.
South Korea had ceded operational control of its troops to the U.S.-led U.N. Command during the Korean War. While wartime operational control remains with the U.S., South Korea regained peacetime operational control in 1994. North Korea has consistently criticized the allies' joint military exercises as invasion rehearsals and could potentially respond with weapons tests, including missile launches. South Korea and the U.S. maintain that their exercises are defensive.
Earlier this week, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korea's leader, threatened a military response to the recent arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in South Korea. North Korea frequently reacts strongly to the deployment of U.S. military hardware to South Korea, accusing Washington of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Freedom Shield is one of the two major annual exercises conducted by the allies, focusing on an all-out war scenario. The other exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, typically takes place in August.