US-ROK Joint Exercise UFS Starts Today... Half of the Maneuver Training Postponed to September

[Financial News] The US and South Korean militaries have embarked on the joint military exercise 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' (UFS) from today until the 28th to defend the Korean Peninsula in case of emergency.
On the 18th, Nam Gi-su, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "This UFS exercise is an annually conducted defensive exercise," and "It aims to support the new government's first exercise and master the national total warfare execution system, while cultivating response capabilities by reflecting recent wars and changing security situations."
The number of South Korean military participants is about 18,000, the same as last year, and the US military also participates in a similar scale as last year.
UFS consists of command post exercises (CPX) and field training exercises (FTX) based on simulations that reflect realistic threats analyzed through recent war patterns. Among them, about 20 out of the planned 40 FTXs will be postponed to next month and conducted separately due to extreme heat, ensuring training safety, and maintaining a balanced joint defense posture throughout the year.
There is also an evaluation that North Korea's opposition to the US-ROK joint exercises was considered. Ahead of UFS, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol warned in a statement on the 10th, "We strongly condemn the provocative acts of the US and South Korea and sternly warn of the negative consequences they will bring," and threatened to "strictly exercise sovereign rights of self-defense against any provocative acts that cross the line."
Given North Korea's recent pattern of rhetorical threats followed by actual provocations, it is also considered possible that they may use the UFS exercise as a pretext for provocations.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained that this exercise will be conducted in two parts. Part 1 is linked with the government exercise 'Ulchi Exercise' from the 18th to the 22nd, and Part 2 is scheduled to be conducted independently by the military from the 25th to the 28th.
Since this UFS is held after President Lee Jae-myung mentioned the phased and proactive restoration of the 9/19 inter-Korean military agreement in his Liberation Day speech on the 15th, there are also forecasts that some training in the Northwest Islands or border areas will be reduced. The 9/19 agreement includes the complete cessation of hostile military acts in all spaces, including land, sea, and air.
In response to related questions, Deputy Spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho of the Ministry of National Defense said, "There has been no review of suspending maritime shooting training in the Northwest Islands, and I am not aware of any training in the border areas," but added, "The Ministry of National Defense will continue to maintain military readiness while supporting the government's efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and implement effective tension reduction measures."


wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yun Reporter