[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Scale of the ROK-US Joint Military Exercises Said to Be the Same as Last Year

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] South Korea and the United States are expected to adjust the scale of the anticipated joint military exercises scheduled for March to April this year under the same policy as last year.

On the 21st, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo reported the Ministry of National Defense's New Year tasks to President Moon Jae-in at Gyeryongdae in Chungnam, where the Army, Navy, and Air Force headquarters are located. This was the first task report at Gyeryongdae, the "heart of the armed forces," since the Moon Jae-in administration took office. Key officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Military Manpower Administration attended the reporting event.

According to the Ministry of National Defense's task report, the direction for this year's South Korea-U.S. joint exercises is planned to be conducted under the same policy as last year, which involved adjusting the scale. Through consultations between the South Korean and U.S. military authorities, a joint command post exercise (CPX) named "Alliance Exercise" is expected to be held in March to April. South Korea and the U.S. intend to manage the situation by suspending large-scale joint exercises to prevent North Korea from crossing the "red line" (a line that must not be crossed). However, the two countries plan to conduct small-scale battalion-level joint exercises instead. From April this year, South Korea and the U.S. are preparing for joint mine warfare training, joint rescue training, joint flagship training, joint anti-submarine warfare training, and maritime special operations (MC-SOF), among others.

However, if North Korea carries out provocations that cross the red line early this year, the scale of joint exercises could be significantly expanded. It is known that South Korea and the U.S. are considering the possibility of changes depending on consultations between the two sides if North Korea escalates military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, such as by testing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Within the U.S., there are voices of concern about the reduction of South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, along with calls to resume joint exercises if necessary.

A senior official from the Ministry of National Defense explained, "We are calmly preparing the joint exercises that are currently planned," adding, "If there are national or diplomatic developments, we will proceed within the agreed scope through consultations between South Korea and the U.S."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, on the 2nd (local time), emphasized that a "political agreement" for North Korea's denuclearization is the top priority but also hinted at the possibility of reviewing the resumption of South Korea-U.S. joint exercises. Appearing on MSNBC that day, Secretary Esper said, "We will watch what happens over the next few months," indicating that the resumption of joint exercises would be considered depending on North Korea's actions. He evaluated that "it is true that the reduction of joint exercises was to keep the door open for diplomacy, and it was the right path," but also stated, "The reduction of exercises did not affect in any way the fundamental capability to fight and win against North Korea." Although Secretary Esper did not specify under what circumstances the resumption of joint exercises would be reviewed, it appears he was referring to North Korea's missile launches.

In particular, this year, the entire military will focus its capabilities on the full operational capability (FOC) verification evaluation of the future combined forces command scheduled for the second half of the year, aiming to lay the foundation for the "practical transition phase" of wartime operational control (OPCON). Regarding the OPCON transition, the plan is to conduct a focused assessment of North Korea's nuclear and missile response capabilities in the second half of this year to establish a solid foundation for the OPCON transition. The Ministry of National Defense stated, "The goal for 2020 is to lay the foundation for entering the practical transition phase of OPCON."

There is also speculation that OPCON will be transferred in 2022, the last year of the Moon Jae-in administration, after successfully completing the initial operational capability (IOC) verification last year, the FOC this year, and the full mission capability (FMC) verification next year.

A senior official from the Ministry of National Defense explained, "Regarding the expansion of the United Nations Command, which became an issue in the media last year, both the U.S. and South Korea have some misunderstandings," adding, "We will communicate and consult sufficiently to complete this in the first half of this year so that the FOC verification can proceed based on strategic documents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.