US, South Korea delay announcement of Freedom Shield drill over training scale

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - SEOUL — The United States and South Korean militaries have postponed announcing the date of their major springtime Freedom Shield exercise due to differences over the scale of field training, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported Sunday, citing security sources.

The two militaries had planned to make the announcement during a joint press briefing Wednesday, but the move was delayed after the US military expressed reluctance over Seoul’s proposal to minimize on-field drills during the exercise.

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Freedom Shield is held every spring under an all-out war scenario aimed at enhancing allied readiness against North Korea’s “advancing nuclear and weapons programs.”

President Lee Jae Myung’s administration has sought to scale back on-field drills, in what has been described as a reconciliatory gesture toward Pyongyang, which has long criticized the exercises as preparations for invasion.

The announcement was postponed due to coordination issues over field training as Seoul pushed to reduce on-field exercises.

The US military has reportedly expressed disapproval of the proposal, noting that additional troops and equipment have already arrived in South Korea to participate in the drills.

Both sides plan further coordination and are expected to announce the exercise later this month or in early March.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the Freedom Shield exercise, scheduled for March, “will take place normally.”