US and South Korea combined exercise rankles the North

The United States and South Korea are preparing for their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises — set to last 10 days starting Aug. 18 — focusing on both cyber and kinetic attack scenarios. The drills may also showcase one of Seoul’s newest air-defense systems.

The Freedom Shield exercise is one of two large-scale joint drills the allies hold every year — one in the spring and one in the fall. This year, extreme heat and flooding forced about half of the 44 planned field training events to be postponed until September.

A representative for the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command told reporters the changes will have “minimal impact” on readiness, stressing that “the most important training is being conducted as planned.”

Around 18,000 South Korean troops are set to participate, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The exact number of U.S. troops hasn’t been disclosed, but estimates put it near 3,000, with the Combined Forces Command saying roughly 21,000 personnel in total will take part.

New lessons, same goal

This year’s exercise will include live-fire field maneuvers and computer-simulated command post training. As in other recent drills, troops will train against emerging threats seen in current conflicts, including drone attacks, GPS jamming, and cyber assaults on command-and-control networks.

Col. Ryan Donald, U.S. Forces Korea public affairs director, said, “We look across the globe at the challenges we may face on the battlefield and incorporate that so we can challenge the participants in the exercise. We are focused on ensuring the alliance is sustainable and credibly deters aggression from the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and addresses the broader regional security challenges.”

The central focus remains countering North Korea’s advancing missile and nuclear programs — and rehearsing how to respond to the aftermath of a nuclear strike on South Korean soil.

Pushing for more air defenses

South Korea renewed efforts aimed at bolstering its own defenses amid concerns about the future of U.S. security commitments. President Donald Trump previously pressed Seoul to pay more for hosting the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country, with some of his advisers suggesting the alliance could be restructured to shift American forces toward countering China.

Seoul is developing new missile interceptors, including the L-SAM launcher — capable of firing both anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missiles — to fill gaps in long-range air defense. The system recently test-fired an anti-aircraft missile for the first time.

Officials have not confirmed whether the L-SAM will be deployed during Freedom Shield, but given the emphasis on air defenses during recent exercises like Talisman Sabre in Australia, it’s entirely possible.

Pyongyang warns of ‘negative consequences’

As expected, North Korea is condemning the drills. Defense Minister No Kwang Choi told state media the exercise is “a direct military provocation” and warned of “negative consequences” if the allies cross what Pyongyang considers its boundary.

The tone of Pyongyang’s warning was relatively restrained compared to past statements, though. As reported by UPI, a Combined Forces Command official explained the North Koreans basically said, “Whatever you do, just don’t go across our border.”

North Korea has a long history of using these joint exercises as justification for missile launches and other provocations. The North is also actively involved in deepening military ties with Russia, sending both troops and equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and continues to strengthen partnerships with Iran and China.