Updated Video: What’s going on in Korea?

Leave a CommentUpdated Video: What’s going on in Korea?National Security

Combined Forces Command held an exercise called Freedom Shield (FS23) March 13-24 2023. 

DoD: The word ‘Freedom’ in the name refers to the strong will in protecting freedom as an immutable value of the ROK-U.S. Alliance, and ‘Shield’ symbolizes the defensive nature of the exercise. 

Participating units also included personnel from the ROK Military, United States Forces Korea (USFK), United Nations Command (UNC), and subordinate component commands under CFC, along with augmentees, civilian personnel and representatives of the United Nations sending states.

In addition to FS23, several combined field training exercises (FTX), collectively called Warrior Shield FTX, took place around the Korean Peninsula. The name Warrior Shield stands for the ROK-US Alliance’s ability and resolution to solidify their combined defense posture to defend the ROK.

The purpose of the training for Warrior Shield FTX, is to further enhance the ROK and U.S. militaries’ cooperation through air, land, sea, space, cyber and special operations, and improve upon tactics, techniques and procedures. 

Troops of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and South Korean army wrapped up their largest joint field exercise in six years with live-fire training near the border with North Korea. The exercise integrated elements of “live exercises” with constructive simulations. These were made more real by North Korea’s decision to live fire a short-range ballistic missile while the troops were massed for the exercises.

DPRK claimed its latest missile launch was designed to simulate a nuclear attack on its neighbor as a protest against the joint South Korea-US military drills. The missile, which was launched from the North’s northwestern Tongchangri area crossed the peninsula and landed in the sea off its east coast about 500 miles offshore. This suggests the missile could target South Korea.

Roughly 800 U.S. and 400 South Korean soldiers conducted the four-day training that ended Thursday at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, about 16 miles from the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula.

Freedom Shield 23 is the latest example of that training and the ironclad commitment to support and defend the ROK sovereignty from any threat or adversary.

The missile, which was launched from the North’s northwestern Tongchangri area, flew across the country and landed in the sea off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments, which reported that the missile traveled a distance of about 500 miles. This range suggests the missile could target South Korea.