South Korea and the United States are set to continue large-scale military exercises later this month, even as North Korea threatened to take “unprecedented” tough action against such exercises.
The South Korean military and the U.S. military pointed out in a statement released on the 3rd of this month that the two militaries will hold joint military exercises from March 13 to 23 to strengthen the joint defense capabilities of both sides.
The exercise will be the longest in the “Freedom Shield” series of military exercises. According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, the exercise will include a “joint computer simulation command post exercise” and a “Warrior Shield” exercise. field training exercises.
“Freedom Shield aims to strengthen the alliance’s defense and response capabilities to focus on the changing security environment, North Korean aggression, and lessons learned from recent wars and conflicts in exercise scenarios,” the joint statement said. “
Past South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises have sparked fierce responses from North Korea, including missile launches and nuclear threats, and North Korea is likely to respond to the Freedom Shield with provocative missile tests and belligerent rhetoric. acting response.
North Korea has long opposed such drills, which it says are a rehearsal by the United States and its South Korean ally for an invasion of North Korea.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that the two armies conducted a joint air exercise on the 3rd, involving at least one U.S. B-1B long-range bomber and South Korean F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets. South Korea’s Defense Ministry also said the purpose of the exercise was to practice coordination and demonstrate the U.S.’s “extended deterrence” against North Korean threats.
Such exercises have drawn violent responses from North Korea in the past, including missile tests and nuclear threats.
U.S. military spokesman Isaac Taylor said that in the upcoming exercise, allies will conduct multiple large-scale joint field exercises during “Warrior Shield” aimed at improving combat execution capabilities. He also said on-the-ground training would include joint amphibious assault exercises.
North Korea’s foreign ministry warned the United States and South Korea last month that they would face “unprecedented, sustained and forceful retaliation” if they proceeded with their joint military exercises as planned this year.
Subsequently, Kwon Jong Gun, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, said the only way to ease military tensions on the Korean peninsula was for the United States to withdraw its plan to deploy strategic assets in South Korea and stop joint military exercises with its South Korean side. He also said that if the U.S. continued its “hostile and provocative actions” against North Korea, South Korea would view such activities as a declaration of war.
North Korea has made similar rhetoric before during its hostilities with the United States and South Korea, and tensions have been escalating in recent months after North Korea tested dozens of ballistic missiles last year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile. The South Korea-U.S. drills come as North Korea appears to be facing food shortages.
In January, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. would increase deployment of advanced weapons such as fighter jets and bombers on the Korean peninsula amid rising tensions with North Korea.
