Korea-US FS Exercises from the 10th... "Expanding Outdoor Maneuver Training"

In Response to Concerns Over a Second Trump Administration,
"The South Korea-U.S. Alliance Is the Strongest Ever"

Starting from the 10th, the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Freedom Shield (FS)" will be conducted.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 6th that the FS exercise will be held for 11 days from the 10th to the 20th. The FS exercise is an annual regular South Korea-U.S. joint exercise conducted around March, replacing the "Key Resolve" exercise that began in 1976.

Colonel Lee Seong-jun (left), Chief of Public Affairs at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Colonel Donald, Chief of Public Affairs at the Combined Forces Command (right), are shaking hands after the '25 FS Exercise joint briefing. Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this FS exercise reflects realistic threats such as the North Korean military’s strategy, tactics, and force changes derived from the analysis of Russia-North Korea military cooperation and various trade disputes in its scenario, aiming to enhance the combined defense posture and response capabilities of South Korea and the U.S.

Previously, North Korea intensified military cooperation with Russia last year and deployed about 12,000 troops to the Russia-Ukraine war. Inside and outside the military, it is believed that the North Korean military has experienced modern warfare through actual deployment and strengthened its combat doctrines.

Additionally, South Korea and the U.S. will expand combined field maneuver exercises across all domains including land, sea, air, cyber, and space, linked to the exercise scenarios. The goal is to improve alliance interoperability and demonstrate enhanced combined deterrence capabilities.

During this exercise, United Nations Command member countries are also expected to participate, and the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe compliance with the armistice agreement.

In this year’s FS exercise, the two countries’ militaries plan to increase the number of combined field maneuver exercises to 16 (compared to 10 last year). Approximately 19,000 South Korean troops will participate. The Joint Chiefs of Staff plan to incorporate tactical changes such as drone and GPS jamming terrorism and cyberattacks into the scenarios during the field maneuver exercises.

The FS exercise will also conduct the martial law exercise, which is usually carried out. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated, "The martial law exercise will be conducted mainly focusing on internal military measures with some scenario adjustments."

Regarding training related to North Korea’s nuclear scenarios, Lee also said, "We will practice measures corresponding to the escalating nuclear threat situation."

During the South Korea-U.S. joint briefing that day, questions about the South Korea-U.S. alliance continued. In response to a question about whether the alliance might be shaken under the second Trump administration, Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and Combined Forces Command, said, "The ironclad alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is the strongest it has ever been," adding, "We will do our best to protect the territories of both countries from enemies threatening the Republic of Korea by enhancing combined readiness and interoperability."

Meanwhile, there is also a possibility that North Korea will continue provocations before and after this FS exercise. On the 4th, Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Workers' Party, issued a statement regarding the deployment of the U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and stealth strategic bomber B-1B to the Korean Peninsula, saying, "We plan to carefully consider options to increase strategic-level provocative actions against the safety zone of our adversary countries."

In fact, North Korea carried out missile provocations just before the FS exercise in 2023 and immediately after it ended last year. The Joint Chiefs of Staff also stated in this regard, "We are closely monitoring recent trends or movements indicating that North Korea may launch missiles."