South Korea and US to begin large-scale military drills amid North Korea tensions

South Korea and the US will launch their annual large-scale joint military exercises this month to bolster their readiness to counter North Korean threats, in a move likely to irritate Pyongyang amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.

Ulchi Freedom Shield, the second of two military drills held in South Korea annually, typically involves thousands of troops in computer-simulated command post training and combined field exercises. The two allies have also had a joint exercise earlier this year in March.

The 10-day exercise, set to start on 18 August, may trigger angry reactions from North Korea, who call these drills “invasion rehearsals” and often uses them as a pretext to dial up military demonstrations and weapons tests aimed at advancing its nuclear programme.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy, which derailed in 2019, aimed at winding down the country’s nuclear ambitions. Pyongyang has since made Russia its top foreign policy priority, sending large amounts of troops and military equipment to support Moscow in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Some 18,000 South Korean soldiers will take part in this year’s exercise, according to military spokesperson Lee Sung-joon, who announced the figures during a joint press conference with US Forces Korea, which did not disclose how many US troops will participate.

Both Lee and US Forces Korea Public Affairs Director Ryan Donald downplayed speculation that South Korea’s new liberal government, led by President Lee Jae-myung, sought to downsize the exercise to foster an environment where a resumption of diplomacy can emerge.

Lee and Donald say this year’s exercises are similar in scale to previous years. Lee however noted that half of the originally 40 planned drills will be postponed to September, due to weather conditions.

The threat posed by North Korea’s growing nuclear and advanced missiles programmes will be a key focus area of this year’s exercise. The drills will also incorporate lessons from recent conflicts, including Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran conflict, to enhance readiness to effectively and timely respond to any threat that may arise.