South Korea, US Plan Spring Joint Military Drills Ahead of OPCON Transfer

(MENAFN) South Korean and US forces will conduct their annual spring joint military exercises next month as preparations continue for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, according to reports.

The 11-day drill, called Freedom Shield, will take place from March 9 to 19 and feature a series of field maneuvers under the “Warrior Shield” program, as stated by a joint announcement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff and United States Forces Korea.

Officials said the exercises aim to strengthen combined readiness through joint operations across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. They added that the drills also support ongoing efforts toward a “conditions-based” handover of wartime command authority to Seoul.

South Korea plans to complete key verification steps for assuming full operational leadership of combined forces within President Lee Jae Myung’s single five-year term, which runs through 2030. Some field training activities may be scaled back compared to previous years.

Washington reportedly expressed concern over Seoul’s proposal to reduce field exercises, as the Lee administration works to improve ties with North Korea, which frequently criticizes the drills as rehearsal for invasion, despite allies’ insistence that the exercises are purely defensive.

Freedom Shield is one of two major annual combined exercises held by the US and South Korea, alongside the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills scheduled in August.

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