Seoul, Washington begin annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills

South Korea and the United States launched their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint military exercises on Monday, August 17, Yonhap News Agency reports.

The drills will run through August 27 and will include joint operations aimed at strengthening the allies’ combat readiness. Servicemen will hone their skills in scenarios designed to reflect the characteristics of modern warfare.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Jang Do-young said the allies plan to jointly assess the country’s military capabilities during the exercise as part of preparations for the transfer of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea. This would allow Seoul to command combined US and South Korean forces in the event of war.

On August 16, US President Donald Trump said he instructed the Pentagon to reduce the scale of joint military exercises with South Korea. The American leader stressed that he has “very good relations” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and argued that the current drills, which were agreed upon a long time ago, send a “totally inappropriate hostile” signal.

By Jeyhun Aghazada