Korea and the US start important yearly military exercises

A significant joint military drill between the US and South Korea began on Monday in an effort to strengthen deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. However, there are worries that Pyongyang may use the drills as a cover for provocative actions.

According to Yonhap news agency, Pyongyang’s ongoing saber-rattling, which includes artillery firings close to the western sea border and several missile launches, has escalated tensions, which is why the annual “Freedom Shield” drill began its 11-day run.

This springtime practice is the first since Pyongyang, fearing that the North would stage provocative military displays, abandoned an inter-Korean military agreement in November 2023 that was intended to ease tensions along the border.

Although Seoul and Washington maintain that the exercises are strictly defensive, Pyongyang has always seen the allied military maneuvers as preparations for an invasion against it and has a history of firing missiles in protest.

The current exercise, according to the forces of South Korea and the United States, is intended to strengthen their joint defense posture. It will concentrate on multi-domain operations by leveraging assets in the air, sea, land, cyberspace, and space, as well as countering nuclear activities in North Korea.

The spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Col. Lee Sung-jun, said at a briefing last week that the drill would mimic many scenarios and involve instruction on identifying and stopping the North Korean cruise missiles.

The number of on-field exercises planned by the two sides this month is 48, which is more than twice as many as during the same time last year. However, the South Korean military claims that none of the drills are slated to take place close to the inter-Korean border.

Participants in the exercise will come from 12 United Nations Command member nations, including Australia, Britain, the Philippines, and Thailand. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) will be watching them.

The joint exercise has been frequently attended by members of the US-led multinational command, which was founded in 1950 with UN backing for South Korea during the 1950–53 Korean War.

The Korean War never officially ended since the opposing forces did not sign a peace treaty, but the NNSC is responsible with supervising its implementation.