SEOUL: The United States has launched a large-scale joint military exercise with South Korea involving thousands of troops, even as Washington remains engaged in an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
According to AP News, the annual Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday and will continue until March 19, with around 18,000 South Korean troops taking part, according to the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. US Forces Korea has not disclosed how many American personnel are participating in the drills.
The exercise comes amid speculation in South Korean media that Washington may be shifting some military assets from the Korean Peninsula to support operations linked to the conflict with Iran.
US Forces Korea said last week it would not discuss specific movements of military equipment for security reasons. South Korean officials also declined to confirm reports suggesting that certain US Patriot anti-missile systems and other assets may be relocated to the Middle East, though they said the move would not significantly affect the allies’ joint defence posture.
North Korea
The drills could provoke a response from North Korea, which has long criticised joint US–South Korea exercises as rehearsals for invasion and often uses them to justify its own military demonstrations and weapons tests. Both allies maintain that the exercises are purely defensive.
Relations between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul have remained strained since talks collapsed in 2019 between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump during Trump’s first term.
Tensions have increased in recent years as Kim has expanded his nuclear weapons programme while strengthening military ties with Russia, which has reportedly received North Korean troops and weapons supplies during its war in Ukraine.
The current drills follow a major political meeting in Pyongyang last month, where Kim reaffirmed his hardline stance toward Seoul, describing it as an “enemy,” while leaving open the possibility of dialogue with Washington if the United States abandons its demand for denuclearisation as a condition for negotiations.
Freedom Shield
Freedom Shield is one of two annual “command post” exercises conducted by the allies, the other being Ulchi Freedom Shield, held each August. The exercises are largely computer-simulated and are intended to test the allies’ combined operational readiness under evolving security scenarios.
The training period also includes field exercises known as Warrior Shield, although the number of field drills during the Freedom Shield period has been reduced to 22 this year compared with 51 last year.
Some analysts believe the reduced scale of spring drills could be intended to create space for renewed diplomacy with North Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has expressed support for dialogue, and officials hope that Trump’s expected visit to China later this spring may open the door to renewed talks with Pyongyang.
