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| ▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (C) speaks to U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson (R) during Ahn's visit to CP Tango, a key wartime command, on Aug. 20, 2025, in this photo provided by Ahn's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
USFK-combined drills
USFK says S. Korea-U.S. combined drills 'far from aggression' following N.K. criticism
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Friday defended a major South Korea-U.S. exercise under way as a commitment to ensuring stability on the Korean Peninsula, rebutting North Korea's criticism that the drills are intended to "ignite a war."
The remark came as Pyongyang has slammed the allies' ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, with the North's leader Kim Jong-un and his influential sister, Yo-jong, releasing back-to-back statements denouncing the drills.
"Far from preparing for aggression, UFS25 enhances deterrence, reassures the populations of both nations, and ensures the ROK-U.S. alliance can defend the homelands, maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and respond effectively should any nation initiate hostilities," an official at the USFK told Yonhap News Agency, when asked about the North's recent claims.
Describing the exercise as underscoring the allies' commitment to ensuring stability on the peninsula, the official stressed the ongoing exercise is a "regular defensive activity" that centers on deterrence.
"Its core scenarios focus on deterrence, reinforcement procedures, civilian protection and supporting whole-of-government crisis response -- not preemptive strikes or offensive campaigns," the USFK official said.
"The DPRK government's characterization of the ROK-U.S. combined exercises as 'rehearsals for invasion' or 'nuclear war drills' is not supported by the facts."
ROK and DPRK, respectively, refer to the acronym of the formal names of South Korea and North Korea.
Seoul and Washington launched the UFS on Monday for an 11-day run through next Thursday. For this year's exercise, the allies have pushed back about half of some 40 field training exercises to next month as Seoul seeks to mend frayed ties with the North.
Still, the North has dismissed such a move and responded with acerbic remarks. Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim denounced the drills as reaffirming the most "hostile" stance toward the North and pledged for a "rapid expansion" of nuclear arms.
Kim's sister, Yo-jong, has claimed that the rescheduling of the field training exercise "will prove futile" and called it Seoul's "foolish calculation" to expect North Korea would respond to its reconciliatory overtures. Most recently, she called the UFS "drills for aggression" and said Seoul is not a diplomatic partner to Pyongyang.
The UFS is observed by the third-party Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which monitors compliance with the Armistice Agreement.
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