South Korea, US to begin exercises next week to bolster readiness against North's threats

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean and U.S. troops will begin their annual exercises next week to beef up readiness against North Korean threats, the allies announced Monday, days after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing activities that are banned by the U.N.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield is to begin next Monday for a 11-day run and its scale will be similar to previous years with about 18,000 South Korean soldiers participating in it, South Korean military spokesperson Jang Do-young told reporters.

Speaking at the same news conference, U.S. military spokesperson Ryan Donald said by incorporating realistic threats including “lessons from recent conflicts,” 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.

“DPRK soldiers have been deployed and fought in Ukraine and they’ve taken those lessons they learned there and brought them back to North Korea,” Donald said, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s full name. "That changes the DPRK capability and our training accounts for that threat."

The upcoming summertime drill is one of the two main combined exercises conducted by South Korea and U.S. militaries annually, along with their springtime training . The U.S. military said the Ulchi Freedom Shield features “live, virtual, constructive and field-based training.”

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.

On Thursday, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile from North Korea in what was the North's first ballistic weapons testing activity since late June. The missile landed in the waters of North Korea's east coast.

South Korea and Japan condemned the launch as a provocation or a threat because multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from engaging in any ballistic activities. The U.S. Pacific Command said the U.S. remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and its allies in the region.

North Korea has been pushing hard to enlarge its nuclear and missile arsenals since leader Kim Jong Un's high-stakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. Experts say Kim likely believes a bigger weapons arsenal would increase his chances for wresting more concessions from the U.S. in future negotiations.

North Korea's supply of troops and ammunition to Russia has raised concerns among South Korea, the U.S. and others that Russia might have transferred North Korea sensitive technologies that can increase the danger of its nuclear and missile programs. Experts have assessed North Korea's troop dispatch has given it crucial battlefield experience as well.