South Korea, US begin key summertime joint military exercise

Apache and Black Hawk helicopters are seen at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, ahead of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, the annual South Korea-US exercise aimed at defending the Korean Peninsula in the event of a contingency. (Yonhap)

SEOUL — South Korea and the United States kicked off an annual combined exercise Monday to bolster their joint defense readiness against North Korea’s threats while rescheduling about half of the field training exercises to next month.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which runs for 11 days through Aug. 28, involves drills incorporating “realistic” threats aimed at enhancing the allies’ capabilities across all domains. Some 18,000 South Korean troops will be mobilized for this year’s drills.

Chinook helicopters are seen at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, ahead of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, an annual South Korea-US combined exercise aimed at defending the Korean Peninsula in the event of a contingency. (Yonhap)

While the Joint Chiefs of Staff said this year’s exercise will be held at a similar scale compared with last year, around half of some 40 planned field training exercises will be pushed back to September as part of apparent efforts by South Korea to mend frayed ties with North Korea.

READ: South Korea, US troops kick off annual drills over North threats

The North has long denounced the allies’ joint exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion against it and has a track record of staging weapons tests in response.

In an Aug. 10 statement, Pyongyang’s defense chief denounced the large-scale exercise and warned of exercising his country’s “self-defense” right in the event of a provocation.

South Korea and the US have emphasized the summertime drills are “defensive in nature.”

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President Lee Jae Myung presides over a Cabinet meeting in the presidential office in Seoul on Monday, as South Korea begins a four-day nationwide civil defense exercise alongside joint military drills with the United States. (Yonhap)

The UFS exercise will be held alongside a four-day civil defense exercise that runs through Thursday, mobilizing about 580,000 civilians and will include efforts to fend off attacks from drones and cyberattacks.

On Wednesday, an anti-air raid civil defense drill will be conducted nationwide as part of the civil defense drills. (Yonhap) /dl