South Korea and the United States are set to commence their annual large-scale military exercise this month, a move designed to bolster readiness against escalating North Korean threats. The joint drills are, however, likely to provoke an angry response from Pyongyang, further straining diplomatic efforts.
Named Ulchi Freedom Shield, the exercise is scheduled to run from August 18 to 28. It represents the second major annual drill conducted in South Korea, following a similar set of manoeuvres in March. Typically, these exercises involve thousands of troops participating in both computer-simulated command post training and combined field exercises.
