Category: US-ROK Alliance

Does anyone really believe heat is what caused the downsize of UFS or the Lee administration trying to play nice with North Korea?:

South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale military exercise Monday, with all eyes on whether North Korea will respond with warnings or provocations.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which aims to strengthen combined defense readiness against potential threats, particularly from North Korea, will be carried out for 11 days and concludes on Aug. 28.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said this year’s exercise would be held on a scale similar to last year’s, with about 18,000 South Korean troops taking part. The level of US participation is expected to be similar, though neither the JCS nor US Forces Korea disclosed an exact figure of the US troops.

Throughout the 11 days, troops will participate in both live and computer-simulated command post exercises and field training exercises (FTX). However, of the roughly 40 FTXs planned for this year, about half, or 20, have been postponed until September.

The JCS cited extreme heat, the need to ensure training safety and efforts to maintain a balanced combined defense posture throughout the year as reasons behind the postponement.

However, observers believe the postponement of some exercises is aligned with the Lee Jae Myung administration’s gestures for an inter-Korean thaw. The decision was made after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s influential sister Kim Yo-jong criticized the exercises, saying they have “no interest” in reviving talks with Seoul, in a statement carried by Pyongyang’s state media in July.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but the Kim regime was not impressed by the downsized UFS.

Notice that the goal to turn over OPCON to the ROK is well after President Trump leaves office which leaves door open for a new administration to delay it once again. The ROK has been saying decades now how they want wartime OPCON and then it always ends up being delayed. I guess in five years we will see what happens this time:

The Lee Jae Myung administration will seek to reclaim wartime operational control (OPCON) of the military from the U.S. within the next five years, establishing the goal as a key part of its foreign and security policy, according to its five-year policy road map announced Wednesday. 

The blueprint links this initiative to a broader strategy of pragmatic diplomacy and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, as well as to strengthening the country’s defense industry to enable it to become one of the world’s top four arms exporters.

The goals were announced by the State Affairs Planning Committee, a de facto transition team for the Lee administration following the snap election resulting from former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I think support for the operational flexibility for USFK will be a major outcome from this summit:

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump will hold their first summit in Washington on Aug. 25 to discuss ways to bolster the two nations’ alliance and cooperation in advanced industries, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Lee will depart for a three-day visit to the United States on Aug. 24, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters, marking his first visit to the U.S. since he took office in early June.

“The two leaders plan to discuss ways to develop the Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance in response to the changing international security and economic environment,” Kang said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It appears the Washington Post is trying to make a scandal out of something that is called negotiating:

Officials of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration considered demanding that South Korea raise its defense spending to 3.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) during tariff negotiations, a news report said Saturday, citing internal U.S. government documents.

U.S. officials also weighed the idea of requiring South Korea to publicly support operational flexibility of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to better deter China, The Washington Post reported, though it is not clear whether their suggestions were actually discussed in the negotiations with South Korea that were concluded last month.

The documents indicated that the Trump’s administration might intend to use tariffs to help achieve a range of national security goals beyond its stated objective to reduce America’s trade deficits and boost domestic manufacturing, the newspaper noted.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This has been long suspected will happen and now it has:

South Korea and the United States will conduct a major joint exercise this month to strengthen their combined readiness posture, the allies said Thursday, but added that around half of some 40 planned field training exercises will be rescheduled to next month.

The announcement came amid speculation that the allies may push back some field training tied to the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise until after September as South Korea seeks to mend frayed ties with North Korea.

The UFS exercise is set to take place from Aug. 18-28 and involves drills incorporating “realistic” threats aimed at enhancing the allies’ capabilities across all domains, their militaries said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder if this a good cop, bad cop dynamic where Colby is the good cop saying nice things to the ROK while Trump is the bad cop making big demands?:

Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of defense for policy, made the remarks on July 31 in a social media post following a phone call between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“South Korea continues to be a role model in its willingness to take more of the lead in a strong defense against the DPRK and in its spending on defense,” Colby wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name. 

Colby also said the two allies are “closely aligned on the need to modernize the alliance” in response to shifting regional security dynamics.

Widely regarded as a key architect of Trump’s “America First” strategy in the security domain, Colby has led efforts to push U.S. allies to increase their defense budgets and assume a greater role in collective defense.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the Lee administration can see the writing on the wall that the US-ROK alliance is going to shift from just being a DPRK focused organization to one that responds to regional contingencies:

A senior South Korean official made a rare mention Thursday of a possible change in the role of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration may seek to shift the focus of its mission to deterring China rather than countering North Korean threats.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with South Korean correspondents in Washington as the Trump administration is seeking to “modernize” the South Korea-U.S. alliance to make it “strategically sustainable” in the midst of an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

“I think there can be a change in the role and character of the USFK due to various factors,” he said.

The official pointed to the evolving international security environment, technological shifts and a “growing strategic role” of China, as he enumerated the factors that could drive a possible shift in the role of the 28,500-strong USFK.

However, he cautioned against misconstruing his remarks, saying his talk of a possible change in the USFK role does not mean he concurs on the U.S. view in support of the change.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The Unification Minister wants to downgrade U.S.-ROK military drills despite receiving nothing in return from the Kim regime:

New Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday he will propose adjusting South Korea-U.S. military exercises to President Lee Jae Myung, hours after Pyongyang denounced such joint drills and accused Seoul of “blindly adhering” to its alliance with Washington.

Chung revealed the plan to reporters, saying, “Yes, I have such an intent,” in response to a question about whether he plans to propose adjusting South Korea-U.S. military exercises to Lee.

In mid-August, South Korea and the U.S. are set to kick off their annual large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.

The minister’s response came hours after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accused the Lee administration of “blindly adhering” to the South Korea-U.S. alliance, declaring that Pyongyang will never engage in talks with Seoul.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but Chung is basically doing the bidding of Kim Yo-jong.

This interview with a U.S. diplomat really just affirms everything the Trump administration has been asking other allies to do, which is increase defense spending:

 A U.S. diplomat on Friday reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad” security commitment to South Korea, but called on the Asian ally to make the “highest-level” efforts to strengthen its own defense capabilities.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, State Department deputy spokesperson Mignon Houston made the remarks amid expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration might request South Korea to bolster its defense spending and military capabilities as it prioritizes deterring threats from an assertive China.

Houston also pointed out that addressing North Korea’s nuclear quandary remains a “priority” issue that Washington has “not taken our eyes off of,” while underscoring that the Trump administration is looking forward to working “very closely” with the government of new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

“South Korea is a strong and capable partner. President (Trump) believes that South Korea has the ability to ensure at the highest level that their defense capabilities are refined and strong. This is something we know we need,” she said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is great to see that the ROK Marines are participating in this very important exercise underway in Australia. According to the article 840 ROK Marines are participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise. The article did not say where in Australia they are at, but it is probably the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has highlighted the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance as he attended an exercise conducted by the South’s Marines as part of multinational drills under way in Australia, his office said Wednesday.

Brunson observed the live-fire drills by the Marine Corps, held as part of the Talisman Sabre exercise, as he made a three-day visit to Australia this week to discuss defense cooperation and review interoperability outcomes for South Korean and U.S. troops in relation to the multinational drills.

The live-fire demonstration by South Korean Marines from the 11th Artillery Battalion, the 1st Tank Battalion and the 1st Marine Division mobilized the K9 self-propelled howitzer, Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system and K1A2 main battle tank.

“Observing our ROK Marine ally during this live-fire exercise at Talisman Sabre showcases the strength and readiness of our alliance,” Brunson said, referring to the South by the acronym of its formal name, the Republic of Korea (ROK).

“These complex combined, joint all domain training events are absolutely essential for enhancing our interoperability and collective defense capabilities,” he said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.