US and South Korea team up for large-scale military drills as North Korea threat looms

Later this month, the United States and South Korea will kick off Ulchi Freedom Shield, their annual large-scale joint military exercise. Scheduled to begin on August 18, the drill comes at a time when North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities and rapid missile advancements are raising new concerns for regional and global security.

This will be the second major combined exercise in South Korea this year, following a similar event in March. Traditionally, Ulchi Freedom Shield blends large-scale field training with computer-simulated command post operations — testing everything from battlefield coordination to cyber defense.

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Lee Sung Joon, around 18,000 South Korean troops will participate alongside U.S. forces. While there had been speculation that the country’s new liberal government might scale down the drills to encourage reconciliation talks with Kim Jong Un, the exercises remain extensive. Some 40 planned field training programs were postponed — not canceled — due to weather, and will now take place in September.

This year’s focus goes beyond just deterring North Korea. The training incorporates lessons from recent conflicts, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing Israel–Iran tensions. Scenarios involving drones, GPS jamming, and cyberattacks will also be simulated — reflecting modern warfare realities.

North Korea, as in previous years, has sharply criticized the exercises, branding them “rehearsals for invasion.” In response, Pyongyang often stages its own military shows of force, including missile launches, while continuing to reject calls from Washington and Seoul to resume nuclear talks. Instead, Kim Jong Un has strengthened ties with Russia — reportedly supplying troops and military equipment to aid Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

As Ryan Donald, public affairs director for U.S. Forces Korea, put it:

“We are focused on ensuring the alliance is sustainable and credibly deters aggression from the DPRK, while addressing broader regional security challenges.”