US, South Korea to begin joint drills Aug. 17

By Alimat Aliyeva

South Korea and the United States will begin large-scale joint military exercises next week as part of efforts to strengthen their combined defense readiness, AzerNEWS reports.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises are scheduled to take place from August 17 to 27. The drills are designed to improve the allies’ ability to respond to potential security threats and are widely regarded as preparation for emergency operations on the Korean Peninsula, particularly in the event of a conflict with North Korea.

The UFS exercises also serve as an important test of South Korea’s ability to lead combined military operations as Seoul moves toward regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington. The two countries are currently in the second phase of a three-stage plan for transferring OPCON authority.

South Korea and the United States conduct two major joint military exercises each year. Freedom Shield (FS) is held in the spring, while Ulchi Freedom Shield takes place in the summer.

The exercises involve not only military personnel but also simulations designed to test command structures, logistics, communications, and the ability of civilian authorities to respond to a major crisis. Their scale and timing often attract close attention from North Korea, which regularly criticizes joint US-South Korean drills as a rehearsal for an invasion.