South Korea and the United States are set to conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint military exercise from August 17 to 27, as the two allies strengthen their preparedness against North Korea’s evolving military capabilities.
According to officials, the drills will include training designed to respond to emerging threats involving drones, GPS disruptions, electronic warfare and cyberattacks.
About 18,000 South Korean troops are expected to participate in the exercise, a scale similar to previous years. The drills will also support South Korea’s government emergency-readiness exercises.
Colonel Ryan Donald, a public affairs director for the Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea, said the exercise reflects changes in modern warfare, particularly the increasing use of unmanned systems and cyber operations.
He said North Korean soldiers who have fought in Ukraine may have gained battlefield experience that could influence North Korea’s military capabilities.
The United States and South Korea maintain that the exercise is defensive in nature and focused on protecting the Korean Peninsula. However, North Korea has routinely condemned such military drills as provocative and has accused the allies of increasing tensions.
The latest exercises come amid already strained relations between North and South Korea. North Korea has continued developing its nuclear weapons programme, ballistic and cruise missiles, artillery and other military systems despite United Nations sanctions.
Pyongyang has also taken a harder stance toward Seoul, including changes to its constitution that remove references to reunification and define North Korean territory as bordering South Korea.
The developments have raised concerns that military tensions on the Korean Peninsula could continue to intensify as both sides strengthen their defence capabilities.
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