South Korea and the United States will begin their annual joint military exercises, Ulchi Freedom Shield, on August 18. The 11-day drills, similar in scale to 2024, will be adjusted with 20 of the 40 planned field training events rescheduled to September.
This change aims to address extreme heat conditions and maintain a balanced defense posture throughout the year, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Lee Sung-jun.
The exercises will test upgraded responses to growing North Korean nuclear threats and incorporate advanced military technologies, inspired by lessons from the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts. Scenarios will include a simulated North Korean missile launch, though not a nuclear test.
South Korea and the U.S. begin their annual joint drills on Monday, an 11-day exercise to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. pic.twitter.com/yhRHKgEIsc
— TaiwanPlus News (@taiwanplusnews) August 18, 2025
While Seoul denied any political motives behind the schedule adjustment, a senior official from the Unification Ministry indicated the delay was partly aimed at reducing tensions with North Korea.
However, analysts remain doubtful of any positive response from Pyongyang. Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute noted that North Korea seeks a complete end to the drills, not minor adjustments.
Recently, South Korea also dismantled border loudspeakers broadcasting anti-North propaganda, but North Korea dismissed the gesture as unworthy of praise, according to Kim Yo Jong via state media KCNA.
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