150 Army Frontline Special Forces Members Conduct ROK-US Joint Training... 1 Month at NTC

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The Army Special Forces are scheduled to conduct a joint South Korea-U.S. training exercise in the United States.

According to the military on the 7th, about 150 soldiers belonging to the frontline corps special forces will begin joint training with the U.S. at the National Training Center (NTC) located at Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert, California, starting from the end of this month for about a month.

Since 2020, South Korea and the U.S. have been conducting joint exercises at the U.S. NTC. The purpose is to strengthen the combined defense posture and improve the ability to conduct joint operations.

The U.S. NTC is a live-fire training ground located in a desert area of approximately 2,600 km², which is more than 500 times the size of Yeouido. It is equipped with various training facilities such as simulated urban areas and cave training grounds.

Following the summit in May, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to normalize joint exercises and training and to expand their scope and scale. Starting from the 22nd of this month, the exercise named 'Eulji Freedom Shield (UFS)' will be revived, which was discontinued by the Moon Jae-in administration and previously known as Eulji Freedom Guardian (UFG).

Meanwhile, North Korea is reacting sensitively to the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises. On the 27th of last month, Chairman Kim Jong-un stated in his so-called 'Victory Day' speech that if South Korea and the U.S. continue "actions that escalate military tensions," they will "pay a corresponding price." Some concerns have been raised that North Korea might use the joint exercises as a pretext to carry out provocations such as a seventh nuclear test.