UFS Ends Assuming North Korean Nuclear Attack Scenario

After UFS Ends, Ssangryong Training and Others Continue Until Next Month

The regular South Korea-U.S. joint exercise for the defense of the Korean Peninsula in case of emergency, "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS), concluded on the 29th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

UFS began on the 19th, assuming increasing North Korean missile threats, GPS jamming and cyber attacks, and threats from land, sea, and air. South Korea and the U.S. conducted multi-domain training utilizing various military assets. The combined field training exercises (FTX) linked to UFS were held 48 times, more than in previous years.

Even after the conclusion of UFS, FTX such as Ssangryong exercises are planned until mid-September. During the UFS period, for the first time, government response drills assuming a North Korean nuclear attack scenario were conducted. The Ministry of National Defense held its first inter-agency cooperation meeting to discuss countermeasures against false information during wartime, and also held an inter-agency cooperation meeting to discuss post-management support plans in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff evaluated, "During this UFS period, our military supported wartime preparedness exercises and actual training of government ministries, contributing to the enhancement of the government's all-out national mobilization capability to protect the lives and safety of the people."

Meanwhile, North Korea condemned UFS as an "aggression war exercise" on the day before the exercise started, the 18th, but during the training period, it only conducted tests of 'suicide drones' strikes and inspection firing of 240mm multiple rocket launchers, and unlike previous years, did not carry out ballistic missile launch provocations.

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