Military Postpones Outdoor Maneuver Hoguk Exercise to November, Citing APEC

The South Korean military has postponed its regular outdoor maneuver exercise, the "Hoguk Exercise," originally scheduled for late this month, to the third week of November. While the military cited the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju as the reason for the delay, some observers are interpreting this move as an extension of the Lee Jaemyung administration's efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions.

Yonhap News Agency

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The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 2nd that the Hoguk Exercise, which was initially set to take place from October 20 to 24, has been rescheduled to November 17 to 21.

Regarding the reason for the postponement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff explained, "The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a national-level event, is scheduled to be held in Gyeongju at the end of October," adding, "This decision was made to maintain military readiness and ensure a smooth and successful national event."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff also stated, "We considered that command efforts for the Hoguk Exercise would be dispersed due to the National Assembly audit of each military branch (October 13 to 30) and international events such as the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX)," adding, "By moving the exercise to the third week of November, we aim to ensure optimal preparation and conduct a more effective exercise."

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