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.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it want...
The months-long disarmament process involving the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has made little tangible progress, Turkish intellig...
King Charles and Queen Camilla have begun a landmark visit to the U.S., aimed at reinforcing ties between the two allies at a sensitive moment. The...
China is stepping up efforts to boost domestic spending and U.S. retail giant Walmart is expanding across the country to meet demand....
Azerbaijan is expanding its diplomatic and economic footprint amid European energy insecurity and global geopolitical tensions. The Czech Prime Min...
The Iron Dome has long symbolised Israeli security, reshaping modern warfare with its reported “90% success rate”. But as regional tensions surge in April 2026, questions are growing over whether the world’s most battle-tested air defence system can remain sustainable.
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and production of critical minerals, the U.S. State Department confirmed late on Thursday.
The Iranian missions in London and Vienna strongly condemned the remarks by the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas on the imposition of further sanctions on Tehran as a “highway of hypocrisy,” amid the Israeli-U.S. war on the Islamic Republic.
The escalating conflict involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel is fuelling what could become the most severe energy crisis the world has ever faced, according to the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 24 April, highlighting the country’s expanding clean transport ambitions.
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner by Secret Service agents after a 31 year old suspect attempted to storm event.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
Adidas shares rose after Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe delivered a historic performance at the London Marathon on Sunday (26 April), becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon in under two hours.
Disney+ has debuted Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language, a new collection of animated musical sequences reimagined in American Sign Language (ASL), released on 27 April to mark National Deaf History Month.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have begun a landmark visit to the U.S., aimed at reinforcing ties between the two allies at a sensitive moment. The trip comes as security concerns rise in Washington and political tensions persist over foreign policy.
China is stepping up efforts to boost domestic spending and U.S. retail giant Walmart is expanding across the country to meet demand.
An overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa has wounded at least 10 people, including two children, and inflicted severe structural damage across several residential neighbourhoods, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Monday morning.
Taiwan’s defence minister has downplayed the impact of new Chinese sanctions on seven European firms, saying they will not disrupt the island’s access to weapons.
The top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan on Monday urged the island’s opposition-controlled parliament to approve President Lai Ching-te’s proposed $40 billion supplemental defence budget, citing rising pressure from China.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment