The annual South Korea-US military exercise, Freedom Shield, kicked off Monday, with reduced outdoor field training drills.
The command post–based exercise will run through March 19.
This year’s drills are based on a scenario reflecting lessons from recent global conflicts, including changes in North Korea’s tactics following its troop deployment to Russia and the evolving threat posed by Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
The exercise also carries added significance as the allies continue efforts to transfer wartime operational control of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul — authority that has remained under US command since the 1950-53 Korean War.
As part of that process, the allies are assessing the South Korean military’s Fully Operational Capability, which measures its ability to lead combined forces in areas including command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The Lee Jae Myung administration has set the OPCON transition as a goal for its term.
More than 18,000 troops from both sides are taking part in this year’s exercise, a level similar to last year’s participation.
However, the number of field training exercises — outdoor maneuver drills conducted alongside the command post training — has been reduced to 22 this year. They include six brigade-level drills, 10 battalion-level drills and six company-level drills, less than half of the 51 field exercises conducted last year.
Ahead of the exercise, Seoul and Washington faced difficulties coordinating the scale and content of the combined field training exercises.
The differences reportedly stemmed in part from South Korea’s proposal to distribute such drills throughout the year — a move widely seen as helping reduce tensions with North Korea as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang. The US preferred maintaining a larger number during the main exercise period.
As of press time, North Korea had not issued any statement regarding the drills.
Pyongyang has frequently denounced Freedom Shield and other allied exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and has often responded with military provocations during the training period.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
