The U.S. and South Korea are to launch a major military exercise against the backdrop of North Korea's aggressive moves on the Korean Peninsula.
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States are set to conduct the Freedom Shield 2024 (FS24), an extensive 11-day military exercise from March 4 to March 14, aimed at bolstering the combined defense capabilities of the allied forces, United States Forces Korea (USFK), a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said on February 27.
Freedom Shield is a large-scale semiannual military training conducted throughout South Korea.
The exercise comes as tensions have once again escalated on the Korean Peninsula after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abandoned efforts to repair the fractious ties with South Korea. In January, Kim abolished three bodies related to inter-Korean cooperation and amended the country's the country's constitution, naming Seoul as Pyongyang's "principal enemy."
United States Forces Korea said in a statement that the latest exercise will help with "ensuring their ability to fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats."
"It will feature live, virtual, constructive and field-based training, engaging personnel from the military services and other federal agencies," USFK said in a statement on February 27.
USFK said the annual event is designed to enhance interoperability and readiness across various security threats, reflecting a comprehensive approach within the Korea Theater of Operations, encompassing combined, joint, multi-domain, and interagency efforts.
The FS24 exercise underscores the commitment between the Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, the United Nations Command, and the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to solidify the allied defense posture and improve response capabilities, it added.
The training will incorporate live, virtual, constructive, and field-based drills involving military personnel and other federal agencies.
"One key aspect of the training event focuses on conducting multi-domain operations leveraging land, sea, air, cyber, and space assets with an emphasis on counter nuclear operations and non-kinetic effects," USFK said.
The FS24 will see participation from service members across 12 UN Command Member States, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and the U.S., contributing additional personnel, USFK said. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will also observe the exercises to ensure adherence to the Armistice Agreement.
Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun underscored the scope of the exercise during a press briefing in Seoul, noting the inclusion of 48 field training drills, which is double the number from the previous year.
"There will be a variety of combined field training drills on land, sea, and in the air to increase interoperability and enhance the combined operation capabilities of the alliance," JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a joint press briefing at the Defense Ministry.
Amid the backdrop of these planned exercises, the top diplomats of South Korea and the United States, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Washington on Wednesday, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
"We are one in condemning North Korea's increasingly provocative rhetoric and actions that violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including its export of munitions and ballistic missiles to Russia," Foreign Minister Cho said during a press availability in Washington on Wednesday.
This meeting marks the first in-person bilateral discussion between Cho and Blinken since Cho's recent appointment, occurring amidst concerns over potential provocations by Pyongyang ahead of significant electoral events in both South Korea and the U.S., Yonhap reported.
These drills, conducted throughout South Korea, aim to increase interoperability and enhance combined operation capabilities without engaging in joint drills near the inter-Korean border.
Col. Lee of JCS added that drills will "practice detecting and intercepting North Korea's cruise missiles," responding to the high number fired by Pyongyang in January and February.
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Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
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