Discord Between South Korea and U.S. Surfaces Above the Waterline [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Unable to finalize field maneuver training ahead of next month’s combined exercise
U.S. appears reluctant over South Korea’s proposal to scale down the exercise

Dissonance continues between South Korea and the United States. The two countries are set to conduct the Freedom Shield (FS) exercise starting as early as next month, but they have yet to decide on the scale and frequency of the field training exercise (FTX). While both sides say consultations are ongoing, this is interpreted to mean that they have not been able to narrow their differences.

A joint exercise held in August last year involving the Republic of Korea Army's 7th Engineer Brigade and the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division's 11th Engineer Battalion, among others. Yonhap News

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the plan for the first-half combined exercise at a South Korea-U.S. joint briefing held at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 25th. FS is a theater-level command post exercise (CPX) that South Korea and the United States conduct every March. It is defensive in nature, aimed at mastering and validating combined operational plans on the assumption of a full-scale war on the Korean Peninsula. Before the main exercise, a crisis management exercise (CMX) will be conducted from March 3 to 6. The main exercise will then take place from March 9 to 19.

South Korea and U.S. say "Combined exercises will strengthen defense posture"

Jang Doyoung, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "This FS exercise will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the combined defense posture of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, including combined and joint all-domain operations, and to continue advancing preparations for the conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) agreed upon by South Korea and the United States, by reflecting realistic situations such as recent training and exercise analysis results and challenging battlefield environments in the exercise scenario."

The issue is the Warrior Shield exercise that will be conducted during the FS period. This exercise is a field maneuver training designed to enhance realism and combat readiness in connection with the CPX scenario. This year, South Korea and the United States agreed to disperse the combined field maneuver training, which had previously been concentrated during the FS period, throughout the year, and they maintain that consultations are still in progress.

Exercise is imminent, but scale and timing are still under discussion

This is unusual. With only a few days left before next month’s exercise, the two sides have still not narrowed their differences. It is known that the South Korean side belatedly proposed either conducting Warrior Shield in a dispersed manner throughout the year after the FS period, or minimizing it. The U.S. military, on the other hand, is reluctant. It says downsizing is impossible because some augmentation troops and equipment from the U.S. military have already arrived in South Korea to participate in the field maneuver training.

On this, an official from the Combined Forces Command said, "There may be a perception that we have not reached an agreement, but that is not correct," while also stating, "Close coordination and deconfliction will continue to take place until the exercise is conducted." In other words, it is still in the coordination stage. He went on to say, "In order to conduct a complex and large-scale exercise, coordination and deconfliction must continue closely until the exercise is carried out," adding, "We are currently coordinating resources and budget-related matters, which are the areas that need to be finally coordinated and integrated."

Proposal to scale down appears to reflect inter-Korean ties and U.S.-China talks

Regarding the possibility of changes in the training method, a military official said, "We believe it is more effective to conduct field maneuver training in a balanced manner throughout the year," indicating a position that dispersed training is more appropriate than concentrating it during the FS period.

The attempt by the South Korean side to disperse the training appears to take into account relations with North Korea. In particular, it is known to reflect the view within the government that conditions for resuming dialogue between North Korea and the United States must be considered ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China scheduled for late March to early April. Previously, following the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, the Moon Jae-in administration scaled down combined field maneuver training to the battalion level or below. Accordingly, South Korea and the United States are expected to conduct this FS in a low-key manner, mindful of North Korea.

Military agreement, DMZ access approval and other pending issues likely to become entangled

Even if the South Korea-U.S. combined exercise is finally coordinated and carried out, friction with the U.S. side is expected to continue. The South Korean government plans to focus first on restoring the no-fly zone provisions under the September 19 military agreement. If the South Korean military is unable to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance, it will have no choice but to rely on U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets. U.S. assistance is essential, but the prospects for cooperation are uncertain.

The clash between South Korea and the United States began over the issue of authority to approve access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The United Nations Command protested, saying, "For the Republic of Korea to have authority to approve access to the DMZ is in direct conflict with the Armistice Agreement and would so undermine the authority of the UN Commander." The Ministry of National Defense recently proposed joint management of the DMZ to the U.S. side, but opinion inside and outside the military is that it will not be easy for the United Nations Command to accept this.