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.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States a...
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has accused World Cup co-host the United States of treating his team "very unfairly", saying logistical restrictions ha...
At least three paramilitary troops and three suspected militants were killed after heavily armed attackers stormed a Rangers security compound in Paki...
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade....
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Ano...
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has accused World Cup co-host the United States of treating his team "very unfairly", saying logistical restrictions have disrupted the team's tournament.
Australia booked its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after a tense goalless draw with Paraguay. Already-eliminated Türkiye ended its campaign on a high with a dramatic 3-2 win over group winners the United States.
Will the negotiations in Switzerland succeed? That has become the dominant question surrounding the latest round of US-Iran diplomacy. It is also the wrong one.
India and the U.S. are close to finalising a long-awaited trade agreement, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday after the latest round of negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Japan remained on high alert Saturday as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the eastern coast after Typhoon Higos weakened into a tropical depression. Authorities warned of continued heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, according to media reports.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
ANEWZ can exclusively report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 1 July.
At least three paramilitary troops and three suspected militants were killed after heavily armed attackers stormed a Rangers security compound in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, authorities said.
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster, he added on state television.
Australia said it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment