[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Reduction of Joint Exercises Inevitable... Will Verification Be Properly Conducted?

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 Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-du officially announced that the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises for the second half of the year are tentatively scheduled to be conducted around mid-next month.

Minister Jeong appeared at the National Assembly National Defense Committee plenary session on the 28th and, in response to a lawmaker's question about the schedule for the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, stated, "Considering various factors, we are looking at around mid-August," adding, "Consultations between South Korea and the U.S. are underway accordingly."

It is known that the South Korea-U.S. defense authorities have decided to conduct the joint exercises starting around August 17, but in a significantly scaled-down form compared to previous years. This exercise will focus on verifying whether the South Korean military can exercise wartime operational control (OPCON), with the verification concentrating on key areas.

The South Korean military holds the position that the minimum U.S. forces necessary for training in preparation for OPCON transfer must be met. Initially, South Korea and the U.S. planned to conduct the Full Operational Capability (FOC) verification of the future combined forces command, which corresponds to the second phase of the three-step verification process for OPCON transfer, during the second half of this year’s exercises. On the other hand, the U.S. military is reportedly of the view that if minimum forces are to be deployed, more focus should be placed on the wartime readiness exercises that are typically conducted rather than on the FOC. This is because the first half of the year’s exercises, scheduled for March, were not held due to the COVID-19 situation, and they do not want the training gap to widen further.

The first half of the year’s South Korea-U.S. joint exercises were postponed due to COVID-19. However, the Ministry of National Defense explained that combat readiness was maintained through combat staff training and officer education aimed at improving the capabilities of the combined command post personnel, while ensuring conditions for the FOC verification evaluation in the second half of the year.

The joint exercises in the second half of next month will be conducted as combined command post exercises in the form of war games, where troops and equipment do not actually mobilize but operate through computer simulations in bunkers. However, there remain concerns that the enclosed training environment could increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Minister Jeong also hinted at the inevitability of scaling down the exercises during the National Assembly session that day.

Minister Jeong emphasized, "The war game method is not a change from the past; however, the number of participants from the U.S. side cannot fully enter normally, and even if they do, quarantine is required, so we will do our best to adapt accordingly." He also left room for flexibility regarding concerns raised by lawmakers that the scaling down of the joint exercises could cause setbacks in the OPCON transfer plan, saying, "We must accept parts that inevitably need to be delayed depending on circumstances," and "If necessary, I think we should also consider changing the plan."

Meanwhile, Kim Hyun-jong, the second deputy director of the National Security Office, announced at a press briefing in the Chuncheon Press Center that "From today, July 28, 2020, according to the revision of the '2020 South Korea-U.S. Missile Guidelines' by the South Korea-U.S. authorities, the restrictions on the use of solid fuel for space launch vehicles have been completely lifted as of the 28th."

Kim added, "Enhancing surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities will greatly contribute to reclaiming our OPCON and building a safer and more peaceful Republic of Korea, Korean Peninsula, and Northeast Asia."

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