SEOUL, South Korea: The United States and South Korea have launched their annual joint military drills, known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield, which will run until August 29.
These exercises, designed to counter the growing threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, include new components such as cyber defence and responses to GPS jamming, reflecting the increasingly diverse threats posed by Pyongyang.
This year’s drills involve around 19,000 South Korean troops operating across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. While specific details about U.S. participation were not disclosed, the exercises aim to bolster the allies’ ability to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction.
In addition to the military exercises, Seoul is conducting civil defence drills to prepare for potential threats, including North Korean drone attacks and the recent use of balloons carrying trash and jamming GPS signals.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized the severity of the North Korean provocations, calling them “the most reckless and irrational” in the world. In response to the joint drills, North Korea has denounced them as preparations for invasion and has a history of conducting missile tests as a form of protest. The situation remains tense, with the possibility of further provocations from Pyongyang during the exercises.
