Six of the seven outdoor joint exercises that were postponed due to the early conclusion of the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' (UFS) are set to begin soon.
During a National Assembly Defense Committee audit held on October 8 at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung stated in response to a question from ruling party lawmaker Yoo Yong-won, "Of the seven delayed exercises, six have had their schedules confirmed and will start either this week or next week."
Regarding the remaining exercise, he noted, "We are in discussions with the U.S. to conduct it normally."
UFS is a regular joint exercise aimed at defending the Korean Peninsula in times of crisis. This year, it was originally scheduled to take place from August 17 to 27 but was cut short after five days following a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce its scale.
As a result, only seven out of 14 planned joint outdoor exercises at the battalion level and above were conducted as scheduled. During the audit, the Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that they would work with the U.S. to ensure the postponed exercises can be conducted within the year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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