South Korea, US begin summertime exercise
South Korea and the United States will begin their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise on Aug. 17 and continue through Aug. 27. The drill is intended to improve joint defense readiness and is widely viewed as contingency training against North Korea.
The exercise is taking place as the allies continue preparations for Seoul to take back wartime operational control from Washington. South Korea and the United States conduct two major combined exercises each year, with Freedom Shield held in spring and Ulchi Freedom Shield in summer.
Key Events
- South Korea and the United States announced plans to begin the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise on Aug. 17.
- The drill will run through Aug. 27 and is designed to strengthen combined defense readiness.
- Officials described the exercise as contingency training aimed at North Korean threats.
- The exercise is part of a broader defense posture as Seoul prepares to retake wartime operational control from Washington.
South Korea US announce joint exercises
South Korea and the United States said they will begin their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises next week to strengthen readiness against North Korean threats. South Korean military spokesperson Jang Do-young said the 11-day drill will involve about 18,000 South Korean troops, with a scale similar to previous years.
The exercise is one of the allies' two main combined drills each year, alongside spring training. The U.S. military said the operation will include live, virtual, constructive and field-based training. The announcement came days after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing.
Key Events
- South Korea and the United States announced annual joint exercises will begin next week.
- The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills are scheduled to run for 11 days.
- About 18,000 South Korean soldiers are expected to participate.
- The U.S. military said the exercise will include live, virtual, constructive and field-based training.
- The drills come days after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing.
S. Korea and U.S. begin military exercise
South Korea and the United States said they will start a major combined military exercise next week. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drill is scheduled to run from Aug. 17 to Aug. 27.
The exercise is designed to strengthen joint defense readiness. It is widely viewed as contingency training against North Korea and comes as Seoul prepares to retake wartime command from Washington.
Key Events
- South Korea and the United States announced they will begin a major combined military exercise next week.
- The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise is scheduled for Aug. 17-27.
- The drill is intended to bolster joint defense readiness.
- The exercise is widely seen as contingency training against North Korea.
- The announcement comes as preparations continue for Seoul's retaking of wartime command from Washington.