[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Military Breached by COVID-19... What About the ROK-US Joint Exercises?

The photo shows a US 2nd Infantry Division M1A2 SEP tank crossing a pontoon bridge during the ROK-US combined river crossing operation training held at the Hantan River in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, in December 2015.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has put the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, scheduled to begin on the 9th of next month, on high alert. Although there has been no change in the policy to proceed with the joint exercises, it is reported that discussions are underway with the U.S. side to consider postponement due to additional confirmed cases within the military.

According to military authorities on the 22nd, 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, from March 9 to 18 this year, they will conduct a combined command post training (CCPT). CCPT refers to a 'war game' conducted through computer simulations without actual troop or equipment mobilization. Prior to this exercise, South Korea and the U.S. will conduct the Crisis Management Staff Training (CMST), which serves as a 'preliminary alert' for the main exercise. From mid-February, training such as combat staff training and collective education for Battle Simulation Center (BSC) personnel has been conducted.

This year's '20-1' joint exercise has significantly reduced the number of participating troops and duration, similar to last year. Typically, joint exercises proceed according to operational plans in the order of crisis creation (CMST) → limited provocation → war commencement → troop reinforcement → counterattack operations → conclusion. Since CMST plays a role in setting the stage before the main training phase, it is not included in the official joint exercise schedule. Therefore, broadly, the exercises have been conducted over two weeks divided into Part 1 (defense) and Part 2 (counterattack). However, this year, the counterattack operation scenario has been removed, shortening the training period to 10 days.

March joint exercise removes counterattack scenario, shortens duration
Field unit participation restricted if COVID-19 spreads
Some opinions favor normal schedule for wartime operational control transfer verification training

Although the duration has been shortened, the worsening COVID-19 situation is expected to disrupt even this. On the morning of the 21st, 52 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported domestically, bringing the total to 156. Notably, 41 of the 52 new cases occurred in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. The Army's 2nd Operational Command, responsible for defending the rear areas of South Korea, is located in Daegu. This increases the likelihood that Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, who will visit the U.S. starting the 23rd, will finalize discussions on postponing the March joint exercises during talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "Considering the trend of COVID-19 spread, all measures are currently fluid," adding, "The military inevitably has to implement high-intensity countermeasures differently from other sectors. We are continuously discussing high-intensity response measures."

Joint exercises at the battalion level within each service branch are also uncertain. Although South Korea and the U.S. planned to significantly expand the scale of joint exercises in case of North Korean provocations, the spread of the novel coronavirus remains a variable. Battalion-level joint exercises are scheduled to begin in April. Planned exercises include joint mine warfare training, joint rescue training, joint submarine training, joint anti-submarine warfare training, and maritime special operations (MC-SOF). Additionally, the South Korea-U.S. Marine Corps is preparing the 'KMEP' training, a tactical unit-level field maneuver exercise. KMEP is an annual small-unit joint exercise program conducted by U.S. Marine Corps units stationed in Okinawa, Japan, together with South Korean Marine Corps units in locations such as Pohang.

Some opinions suggest that for the transfer of wartime operational control, there is no choice but to select either postponement or normal progression of joint exercises. South Korea and the U.S. plan to focus on assessing North Korea's nuclear and missile response capabilities during this exercise to establish a solid foundation for the transfer of wartime operational control. There are also expectations that the operational control will be transferred in 2022, the final year of the Moon Jae-in administration, following the successful completion of the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) verification last year.

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