Seoul: South Korea and the United States concluded their major joint military exercises on Thursday, aiming to strengthen their combined readiness posture in response to North Korea's persistent criticism of the annual drills, which it views as preparations for war.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which included a four-day civil defense exercise in South Korea, ended after an 11-day period amidst North Korea's evolving nuclear missile threats and its growing military ties with Russia. The South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command stated that the exercise reinforced the Alliance's defensive posture and demonstrated the ability to deter aggression and, if necessary, defend both nations' territories.
The command emphasized the exercise's role in reaffirming the alliance's significance as a stabilizing force for regional peace and security. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) agreed, noting that the exercise helped establish a robust combined defense posture. Col. Nam Gi-su, JCS deputy spokesperson, highlighted that the exercise incorporated lessons from recent warfare, enhancing the alliance's operational capabilities and response posture.
This year's exercise was the first major military collaboration since President Lee Jae Myung took office, who has expressed a commitment to improving relations with North Korea. Although the scale of the exercise was similar to the previous year, about half of the 40 planned field training exercises were postponed to September, seemingly as a reconciliatory gesture.
South Korea's military attributed the rescheduling to various factors, including a heatwave and the strategic benefit of distributing drills throughout the year for better readiness. Despite this, North Korea issued multiple statements condemning the drills, with leader Kim Jong-un alleging they aim to trigger a war. North Korea also conducted test-firings of new air defense missiles but refrained from major provocations such as long-range ballistic missile launches.
The allies have stressed that the drills are purely defensive. U.S. Forces Korea reiterated that the exercises are "far from aggression," countering North Korea's assertions.