SEOUL— South Korea and the United States have announced that they are preparing to conduct their annual joint military exercises, with the primary goal of building up their joint capabilities to deter and defend against increasing threats presented by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Keeping Pace with North Korean aggression

These exercises, known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield, are scheduled to begin next week, from August 19 to August 29. This decision comes at a time of mounting tension on the Korean Peninsula. The annual exercise could potentially provoke a strong response from North Korea, which has consistently portrayed these drills as deceptive invasions and has used them to justify its continued development of nuclear weapons and missile systems.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to take advantage of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to augment his weapons programs while threatening a nuclear strike against the United States and South Korea.

Global Impact of North Korea’s Actions

Last Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Russia had utilized a North Korean missile against Kyiv. As a reaction, the United States, South Korea, and Japan have collectively expanded their military exercises and are fine-tuning their shared nuclear deterrence strategies.

Over the past months, the United States has increased its regional presence by deploying long-range bombers, submarines, and aircraft carrier strike groups. This deployment is aimed at conducting joint training with South Korean and Japanese forces as a show of strength against North Korean aggression.

The upcoming drills will comprise computer-simulated scenarios intended to enhance responses to missile threats, GPS disruption, and possible cyber-attacks. The simulations will be held alongside live-fire exercises and will cover a wide range of scenarios. The primary objective is to reinforce their combined ability to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction.

Deterrence and Defense

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung Joon noted that the exercises are crucial for maintaining South Korea’s robust defense posture and affirmed that about 19,000 South Korean troops will participate. However, U.S. Forces Korea spokesman Ryan Donald refrained from disclosing the number of U.S. troops involved. He emphasized that the exercises are designed to reflect real-world threats, including those posed by North Korea.

Continued Provocations

In retaliation to these exercises, during last year’s iteration of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, North Korea launched ballistic missile tests. They claimed were rehearsals for scorched earth nuclear attacks on South Korean targets. Recently, North Korea launched psychological warfare by releasing thousands of balloons carrying trash over the border into South Korea, which led to South Korea resuming propaganda broadcasts across the border.

Over the past weekend, about 240 balloons were released by North Korea towards the South. Although only ten were known to have landed, no hazardous materials were detected. North Korea’s actions continue to spark concerns and raise questions about the security of South Korean facilities.