Seoul: The militaries of South Korea and the United States executed only five out of approximately 20 field training drills in September, which were initially rescheduled from August as part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, a lawmaker revealed on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the allies had initially decided to delay about half of the 40 planned field training exercises set for August by a month due to an ongoing heat wave. Despite this plan, a report submitted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party indicated that only five field drills were carried out in September.
The JCS assured that the remaining exercises are slated to occur before the year's end, emphasizing that rescheduled drills are typically underway. The South Korean military has cited "multiple factors" for the rescheduling, including the extreme heat and the strategic advantage of spreading the exercises throughout the year to enhance military readiness.
However, there is speculation that some drills were postponed as a conciliatory gesture aligned with the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to improve strained inter-Korean relations.