Overview

• The exercise began on August 18 with about 21,000 troops, including 18,000 South Koreans, conducting simulated command post operations and live field training.
• Roughly half of the 40 planned field training exercises have been postponed to September, a move U.S. officials attribute to extreme heat and flood damage rather than diplomatic concessions.
• Seoul has launched a four-day civil defense exercise mobilizing around 580,000 civilians for anti-air raid, drone and cyber-defense drills.
• North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol denounced the maneuvers as a “military confrontation” and warned of readiness to counter any provocations beyond the boundary line.
• The drills intersect with President Lee’s push to revive inter-Korean agreements and set the stage for his August 25 meeting with President Trump in Washington.