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11m ago

U.S. and South Korea Launch Ulchi Freedom Shield as Kim Jong Un Urges Rapid Nuclear Expansion

Seoul calls the exercise defensive, deferring some field drills to September.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a press conference at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspects the warship Choe Hyon in Nampo, North Korea, on August 18, 2025.

Overview

  • The 11-day drills run through Aug. 28 and involve about 21,000 troops, including roughly 18,000 South Koreans, in command-post simulations and field training.
  • Around half of roughly 40 planned field training events were postponed to September, with U.S. officials citing heat and flood damage to training areas.
  • North Korea condemned the drills; Kim made the remarks during an inspection of the new 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer and claimed the allies show a will to "ignite a war."
  • Allied commanders say the program centers on deterring North Korean nuclear use and countering missiles, drones, GPS jamming and cyberattacks.
  • South Korea is also running a four-day nationwide civil defense exercise involving about 580,000 civilians, as President Lee Jae Myung pursues phased restoration of inter-Korean pacts ahead of his Aug. 25 summit with President Donald Trump.