South Korea and the United States will conduct joint military drills, known as Freedom Shield, from 9 to 19 March, military officials from both countries announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at a briefing, officials described the annual exercise as defensive in nature. North Korea has frequently denounced the drills, calling them a rehearsal for invasion.
Operational control transfer
This year’s exercise will support ongoing preparations for the transfer of U.S. wartime operational control to South Korea. Previous iterations of the drills have included multi-domain and command-post training designed to build readiness for the handover.
Seoul aims to complete the transfer of military command before President Lee Jae-myung’s term ends in 2030.
Officials added that next month’s exercise will incorporate deterrence scenarios related to North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
Diplomatic outreach
President Lee has sought to improve relations with North Korea but Pyongyang has rebuffed those efforts.
South Korean media previously reported that Seoul had proposed scaling back field training exercises as part of its diplomatic outreach. The reports said the proposal met resistance from the U.S.
Officials told Reuters that discussions over potential adjustments to the field drills remain ongoing.
Meanwhile, North Korea is currently holding the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the of...
A drone strike caused a fire at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, officials said on Sunday, with ...
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou...
A new documentary by AnewZ Investigations titled 'Target Yerevan' is set to premiere in Baku soon, examining allegations surrounding former...
Russia carried out overnight drone strikes, air raids and shelling across Ukraine, hitting cities including Odesa and Dnipro, killing one person an...
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has reaffirmed the island’s commitment to sovereignty and regional stability following the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
U.S. President Donald Trump received a lavish welcome in Beijing on Wednesday as he began a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by senior business leaders including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Elon Musk.
By the time American shoppers began noticing higher prices on everything from trainers to televisions, the world's two largest economies were already deep in a trade war that left the world wondering how it would end.
The man accused of attempting to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House gala last month pleaded not guilty to all charges in federal court on Monday.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
Russia carried out overnight drone strikes, air raids and shelling across Ukraine, hitting cities including Odesa and Dnipro, killing one person and injuring more than 30, according to Ukrainian officials on Monday (18 May).
Iran and Pakistan reviewed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the stalled Iran-U.S. peace negotiations mediated by Islamabad, as Tehran and Washington continue to refuse tangible concessions amid a fragile ceasefire and escalating verbal threats.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said plans to strengthen frontline units on the border with South Korea, as well as other major units, were key to "more thoroughly deterring war," state media KCNA reported on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment