Latest news with #LeeSungjun
CTV News
07-08-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
South Korea, U.S. militaries will stage large-scale drills this month to address North Korean threats
Col. Lee Sung-jun, left, public affairs director of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of the United Nations Command (UNC), Combined Forces Command (CFC), and United States Forces Korea (USFK) attend a press briefing of Ulchi Freedom Shield 2025 exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool Photo via AP)
South China Morning Post
07-08-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Is Seoul delaying joint drills with US to avoid antagonising Pyongyang?
South Korea and the United States will delay half of their coming field exercises under their annual joint military drills this summer, in what analysts view as a calibrated gesture to reduce friction with North Korea while maintaining security readiness. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul and the United States Forces Korea (USFK) said on Thursday that the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises would run from August 18 to 28, but 20 of the 40 scheduled field training components would now be pushed to September and conducted in staggered fashion. The core command post exercises, conducted via computer simulations, will proceed as planned. About 18,000 South Korean troops and several thousand US personnel are expected to take part. 'The UFS '25 will be executed on a similar scale to the previous one,' said JCS spokesperson Colonel Lee Sung-jun. Colonel Lee Sung-jun (left) of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and Colonel Ryan Donald of US Forces Korea speak during a press briefing on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE Lee cited ongoing heatwaves as the primary reason for the field training postponement, but stressed that key training components under the UFS scenario – including the deployment of US strategic assets and personnel to the Korean peninsula – would proceed as scheduled.
Al Arabiya
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
South Korea, US to conduct major joint military drills
South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills starting on August 18, their military officials said on Thursday, announcing an annual defensive exercise that has been a source of tension with North Korea. The 11-day annual exercise, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be adjusted this year by rescheduling 20 out of 40 training events to September, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said at a briefing on Thursday. The decision to spread out the scheduling included reasons such as extreme weather, he said, denying there were any political factors behind the move. This year's drill will test upgraded responses to heightened North Korean nuclear threats as well as cutting-edge technologies used in modern warfare, Lee said, citing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The exercise will include a scenario involving a North Korean missile launch, but would not cover a potential nuclear test by Pyongyang, he added.
Reuters
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
South Korea, US to conduct major joint military drills starting August 18
SEOUL, Aug 7 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills starting on August 18, officials said, although they will delay parts of the annual exercises that have been a source of tension with North Korea to later in the year. The 11-day annual exercises, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be on a similar scale to 2024 but adjusted by rescheduling 20 out of 40 field training events to September, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said. The allies agreed to reschedule some parts of the drill to next month over factors "including ensuring training conditions during extreme heat and maintaining a balanced combined defence posture year-round," Lee said at a briefing. This year's drill will test an upgraded response to heightened North Korean nuclear threats as well as cutting-edge technologies used in modern wars, Lee said, citing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The exercise will include a scenario of a North Korean missile launch, but will not cover a potential nuclear test by Pyongyang, he said. The decision to spread out the scheduling included reasons such as extreme weather, Lee said, denying there were any political factors behind the move. The drills are due to be staged as the new South Korean government of President Lee Jae Myung seeks to improve strained ties with Pyongyang and revive stalled dialogue with its neighbour. A senior official from South Korea's Unification Ministry, which manages relations between the Koreas, said on Thursday that the delay in some training exercises was aimed at easing tensions with North Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported. Some analysts were sceptical about Pyongyang's response. "North Korea won't be satisfied with the adjustment at all," said Cheong Seong-chang, vice president at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, a research centre on North Korean affairs. "What the regime wants is the termination of the drills with the U.S., not a slight rescheduling," said Cheong. On Monday, South Korea removed loudspeakers blasting anti-North Korea propaganda near its border with the North in a bid to lower friction with Pyongyang. So far North Korea has rebuffed such overtures by Seoul. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, recently said that South Korea's decision to stop the broadcasts was "not the work worthy of appreciation," state media KCNA reported.
CNA
07-08-2025
- Politics
- CNA
South Korea, US to conduct major joint military drills starting Aug 18
SEOUL: South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills starting on Aug 18, their military officials said on Thursday (Aug 7), announcing an annual defensive exercise that has been a source of tension with North Korea. The 11-day annual exercise, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be adjusted this year by rescheduling 20 out of 40 training events to September, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said at a briefing on Thursday. The decision to spread out the scheduling included reasons such as extreme weather, he said, denying there were any political factors behind the move. This year's drill will test upgraded response to heightened North Korean nuclear threats as well as cutting-edge technologies used in modern wars, Lee said, citing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The exercise will include a scenario on a North Korean missile launch, but would not cover a potential nuclear test by Pyongyang, he said.
