South Korean and U.S. troops will begin their annual exercises next week to beef up readiness against North Korean threats. The Ulchi Freedom Shield is to begin next Monday for an 11-day run and its scale will be similar to previous years with about 18,000 South Korean soldiers participating in it.
Exercises to Strengthen Alliance
Speaking at a news conference, U.S. military spokesperson Ryan Donald said the exercise will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the alliance’s readiness and capabilities through combined, joint, all-domain operations. He cited North Korea’s dispatch of troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine in recent years.
North Korea had no immediate comments. But it has steadfastly described any major U.S.-South Korean military drills as a practice to invade North Korea and responded with provocative weapons tests and fiery rhetoric. South Korean and U.S. officials have said their joint exercises are defensive in nature.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
