The US and South Korea have announced new military exercises

This content was published on March 03, 2023 – 09:48 am
March 03, 2023 – 09:48

(Keystone SDA)

Despite North Korea’s threats, the US and its ally South Korea plan to hold new military exercises this month.

The US Forces Korea (USFK) said on Friday that the commando exercise “Freedom Shield” will begin on March 13 and continue for eleven days without interruption. Hence training in the field should be integrated into staff legal training based on computer simulations.

Various field exercises codenamed “Warrior Shield FTX” are already underway, a USFK spokesperson said. Further training sessions will be conducted during “Freedom Shield”. It was not initially known how many soldiers would be deployed. The exercise aims to enhance military cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries through “air, land, sea, space, cyber and special operations”. The US has stationed 28,500 troops in South Korea to deter North Korea. Like Japan, the US keeps South Korea under its nuclear umbrella.

North Korea, isolated by its nuclear weapons program, has recently threatened to retaliate if the US and South Korea continue to conduct military exercises. Observers saw this as a sign of a new series of missile tests or a new nuclear test. Washington and Seoul have denied all of Pyongyang’s accusations, with maneuvers preparing for an attack.

Conflict has erupted on the Korean Peninsula since last year. Despite being banned by UN resolutions, North Korea has increased the range and pace of its missile tests. South Korea and the US have launched their maneuvers in full swing.