The United States and South Korea on Monday launched a large joint military exercise involving thousands of troops, even as Washington remains engaged in an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said around 18,000 South Korean troops will participate in the Freedom Shield exercise, which runs through March 19. US Forces Korea has not confirmed how many American troops are taking part in the training.
The drills come amid speculation in South Korean media that Washington may be relocating some military assets from the peninsula to support operations against Iran. US Forces Korea said last week it would not comment on specific movements of military assets for security reasons.
South Korean officials also declined to confirm reports that some US Patriot missile system units and other equipment were being moved to the Middle East, but said such adjustments would not significantly affect the allies’ joint defence posture.
The exercise could provoke a response from North Korea, which has long described joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion and has often used them to justify its own military demonstrations and weapons tests. Washington and Seoul insist the drills are purely defensive.
North Korea has suspended meaningful dialogue with both Washington and Seoul since the collapse of a 2019 summit between leader Kim Jong Un and then-US president Donald Trump during Trump’s first term.
Tensions have risen in recent years as Pyongyang accelerated the development of its nuclear arsenal and strengthened military ties with Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia has reportedly received thousands of North Korean troops and weapons shipments to support its war effort.
The drills come after a major political conference in Pyongyang last month where Kim reaffirmed his hardline stance toward what he called “enemy” Seoul, while leaving the door open for talks with Washington if the US drops its demand for North Korea’s denuclearisation as a precondition for dialogue.
Freedom Shield is one of two annual command-post exercises conducted by the allies, alongside Ulchi Freedom Shield held each August. The exercises are largely computer-simulated and designed to test joint operational capabilities while incorporating evolving war scenarios and security challenges.
The March drills will also include a field training programme known as Warrior Shield, although the number of field exercises has been reduced to 22 this year compared with 51 during the same period last year.
While US and South Korean officials say field drills are typically spread across the year, analysts have speculated that the reduced scale of the spring exercises may be aimed at creating conditions for renewed dialogue with North Korea.
Liberal South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has expressed support for diplomatic engagement, and some officials in Seoul believe a possible visit by Donald Trump to China later this spring could potentially open a channel for talks with Pyongyang.
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