[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] COVID-19 Disrupts ROK-US Joint Training Schedule

It has been reported that South Korea and the United States will begin joint military exercises starting from the 5th. The photo shows a US 2nd Infantry Division M1A2 SEP tank crossing a pontoon bridge during the South Korea-US joint river crossing operation training held at the Hantan River in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, in December 2015.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, scheduled to begin in April, are facing an emergency. If the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) does not show signs of subsiding by this month, there is a high possibility that the training schedule will be fully postponed or canceled.

According to the military on the 5th, after announcing the suspension of joint military exercises in 2018, South Korea and the U.S. abolished the three major joint exercises: Key Resolve (KR), Foal Eagle (FE), and Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG). Instead, each military branch has been strengthening joint exercises at the battalion level.

However, this year, the training schedule has not been finalized due to the novel coronavirus situation. If North Korea provokes, South Korea and the U.S. planned to significantly expand the scale of joint exercises, but even this depends on the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo emphasized on the 15th of last month, "Over the past year, more than 100 joint exercises and trainings at the battalion level have been conducted, actually increasing," and added, "Advanced weapon systems and operational concepts were applied."

The battalion-level joint exercises mentioned by Minister Jeong are set to begin in April. South Korea and the U.S. are planning joint mine warfare training, joint rescue training, joint submarine training, joint anti-submarine warfare training, and maritime special operations (MC-SOF). Following this, the South Korea-U.S. Marine Corps is also preparing the tactical unit-level field maneuver exercise called 'KMEP' training. The KMEP training is an annual small-unit joint exercise program conducted by U.S. Marine Corps battalion-level and below units stationed in Okinawa, Japan, together with South Korean Marine Corps units in places like Pohang.

Meanwhile, the number of military personnel isolated to prevent novel coronavirus infection is increasing daily. On the 3rd, about 800 military personnel were isolated, but as of today, the number has increased to about 960. The Ministry of National Defense is taking preventive isolation measures for soldiers and their families who have visited China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Among those isolated, there are about 280 officers and about 680 enlisted personnel. The Army has the largest number, about 740.

North Korea, which was expected to provoke on significant dates such as the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army (August 8) or the birthday of Kim Jong-il, the Day of the Shining Star (February 16), is also in a difficult situation. Since North Korea has also launched comprehensive quarantine measures to prevent novel coronavirus infection, the possibility of provocation is considered low.

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