South Korea and the United States begin 'Ulji Shield of Freedom' exercises starting on the 17th... Until the 27th

ROK-US military authorities will begin ‘Ulji Freedom Shield’ (UFS) exercises from the 17th to the 27th. This year's UFS is being held to reflect war lessons analyzed through recent war patterns, and the participation scale of our military is similar to previous years, at about 18,000.

There are 14 outdoor mobility exercises (FTX) scheduled for this UFS exercise period, integrated at the battalion level and above. The scale is slightly reduced compared to last year. Last year, during the UFS period, joint FTX was conducted in a total of 22 cases at the company level or higher, including 17 at the battalion level or higher.

During the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, South Korea and the U.S. intensively deployed joint FTX during the ‘Shield of Freedom’ (FS) exercise in March and the UFS in August, but under the Lee Jae-myung administration, there is a trend to disperse them throughout the year. During this UFS period, some joint ROK-US evaluations related to the capabilities and systems required for wartime operational control (OPCON) transition will also be conducted.

In light of precedent, North Korea is expected to react sensitively and may even launch a military demonstration. On the 14th, North Korea issued a statement through a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declaring that this exercise was “in essence a demonstration of war of aggression,” and that “our position against the enemy, which seeks to completely reject arbitrary threats and challenges through the resolute exercise of the right to self-defense, will be expressed more clearly.” Ballistic missiles were launched from the Wonsan area into the East Sea twice on the 6th and 12th.

Meanwhile, while introducing the contents of this training, the United States also revealed a view that seemed to link it to checks on China in the Indo-Pacific region beyond the Korean Peninsula, drawing attention as to whether it reflects the change in the nature of the U.S. forces stationed in Korea promoted by the United States. In a press release on UFS participation on the 14th, the Eighth US Army in Korea stated, “This exercise includes rapid distribution and preparation procedures for Army Prepositioned Materials 4 (APS-4), demonstrating the alliance’s ability to quickly project combat power and secure key terrain within the First Island Chain.” The First Island Chain connecting Okinawa, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines is a strategic defense line concept to deter China's advance into the Pacific. However, when asked at a briefing on the 10th whether there were elements related to regional threats in this exercise, Ryan Donald, head of the U.S. Military in Korea Public Affairs Office, answered, “(UFS) is to respond to the security threats facing the Korean Peninsula.”