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8h ago

U.S. and South Korea Begin Ulchi Freedom Shield Exercises, Defer Half of Field Drills

Allies say weather damage prompted the delay of roughly half the planned field exercises to September.

South Korean protesters stage a rally to oppose the joint military exercises, Ulchi Freedom Shield or UFS, between the U.S. and South Korea in front of the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. The banners read "Stop the military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korean protesters stage a rally to oppose the joint military exercises, Ulchi Freedom Shield or UFS, between the U.S. and South Korea in front of the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. The banners read "Stop the military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korean protesters stage a rally to oppose the joint military exercises, Ulchi Freedom Shield or UFS, between the U.S. and South Korea in front of the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. The banners read "Stop the military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Apache choppers are parked at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, a day ahead of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise on Aug. 17, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield kicked off on Aug. 18 with about 21,000 troops conducting command-post simulations and limited live-training to bolster joint defense readiness.
  • A parallel four-day civil-defense drill has mobilized roughly 580,000 civilians for anti-air raid, drone and cyber defense exercises across South Korea.
  • South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff report that this year’s exercise matches last year’s overall scale but that nearly half of around 40 scheduled field events have been pushed to September.
  • North Korea’s defense ministry condemned the drills as a “military confrontation” and warned it would exercise its right to self-defense against any provocation.
  • The exercises coincide with President Lee’s upcoming summit with President Trump and follow Seoul’s efforts to restore parts of a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.