US and South Korea complete large-scale summer military exercises
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The United States and South Korea on Thursday concluded their large-scale annual exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), aimed at strengthening joint defense readiness amid growing military threats from North Korea, citing Yonhap.
According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, around 19,000 South Korean troops participated in the maneuvers, which began on August 19.
Additionally, 48 simultaneous field exercises were conducted, such as amphibious landings and live-fire drills, compared to 38 field exercises held last year.
For the first time, civil defense forces' training during the exercises included a scenario involving a North Korean nuclear strike. However, the military drills did not involve such a scenario.
Moreover, during the exercises, South Korea's Ministry of Defense held a separate meeting with relevant government agencies to address misinformation concerns amid growing fears of hybrid warfare.
North Korea, which has often used the allies' joint exercises as a pretext for provocations, condemned the drills, calling them "the most offensive and provocative war drills for aggression." However, during this year's exercises, North Korea refrained from major provocations such as ballistic missile launches.
US and South Korean exercises
It was reported earlier that the US and South Korea had started their large-scale annual joint exercises to counter North Korean threats.
Earlier, in April, the US and South Korea conducted joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan to enhance their skills in deterring maritime security threats and ensuring safe navigation amid North Korean threats.
South Korea and the United States also held joint space exercises to counter North Korean attacks on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other space threats.
