The joint military exercise “Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)” between the United States and South Korea officially kicked off on Monday (August 18th). The exercise, which will last for 11 days until August 28th, aims to enhance bilateral defense capabilities to respond to North Korean nuclear provocations and simulate new forms of warfare to strengthen the immediate response and integrated defense capabilities of both militaries.
During the “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercise, both countries will simulate “real threats” to enhance the coordination capabilities in various operational domains. The South Korean military will mobilize 18,000 soldiers to participate in the exercise.
Simultaneously, a 4-day civil defense exercise, “Ulchi Exercise,” will also take place and end on August 21st. Approximately 580,000 civilians from around 4,000 institutions and departments are expected to participate. This year’s civil defense exercise focuses not only on traditional defense drills but also on modern and emerging security threats, including drone attacks, cyber warfare, and defense drills against advanced high-tech weapons. On August 20th, a nationwide air defense civil defense drill will be conducted.
The civil defense exercise aims to prepare for national emergencies such as war and ensure the safety of the country and its people.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that this year’s exercise is of a similar scale to the previous year, with about 40 live-fire drills scheduled, half of which will be held in September. The U.S. and South Korea emphasized that despite some adjustments in the exercise schedule, the core goal of the exercise remains to address the North Korean threat and has not changed.
The Kim dynasty in North Korea has long condemned the joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises as invasion drills and has responded by test-firing weapons on multiple occasions. North Korean Defense Minister Nokwang-ti issued a statement on August 10th regarding the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, stating that if provoked, North Korea would exercise its right to self-defense.
Both the United States and South Korea, however, stress that the “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercise is defensive in nature.
(This article references reports from the Korea Times, Yonhap News Agency, and KBS Broadcasting Corporation.)