Over 110 South Korea-U.S. Joint Exercises Scheduled for Early 2025: Preparations Proceeding Smoothly

This year’s planned South Korea-U.S. joint exercises are confirmed to proceed without issues.

According to data on the 2025 first-half South Korea-U.S. joint exercises and training submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to National Assembly Defense Committee member Yoo Yong Won on Tuesday, over 110 joint exercises and training sessions are planned for the first half of this year. This is an increase of about 10 compared to 103 during the same period in 2024.

The South Korean military has planned two joint exercises with the U.S. for the first half of 2025. A counterfire exercise is scheduled in January, followed by the 2025 Freedom Shield (FS) joint exercise in March. The counterfire exercise is an annual South Korea-U.S. command post exercise designed to train personnel in the Ground Component Command’s counterfire execution headquarters on mission procedures. The FS joint exercise, aimed at establishing a robust combined defense posture and enhancing the alliance’s response capabilities, will take place over two weeks in mid-March, divided into parts 1 and 2.

According to Rep. Yoo’s office, the military held a final meeting in mid-December last year regarding preparations for the 2025 FS joint exercise. It is reported that South Korean and U.S. military authorities agreed to conduct a substantive exercise during this meeting. A representative from the office stated, “Regardless of domestic political situations, this year’s FS joint exercise is expected to proceed at the usual scale,” and added, “We have confirmed that there are currently no constraints in the exercise preparations.”

Over 110 joint training sessions are planned for the first half of this year. During the FS joint exercise period, the military plans to conduct 45 combined field training exercises (FTX) to enhance the interoperability of the South Korea-U.S. alliance across land, sea, and air and improve its combined operational capabilities.

Notably, the South Korean Air Force is set to participate for the first time as an observer in the Joint Project Optic Windmill (JPOW), Europe’s largest combined air and missile defense exercise, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Germany, with participation from 13 countries including the U.S., Norway, and Sweden, scheduled for March. The Air Force plans to assess mission planning and execution, as well as interoperability, based on simulated scenarios involving aerial threats such as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft.

Rep. Yoo stated, “The news of the South Korean military conducting normal joint exercises and training with the U.S. demonstrates a strong commitment to fulfilling its primary mission,” and added, “Since the majority of military personnel are unrelated to the recent martial law incident, except for a few high-ranking commanders who caused significant public disappointment due to poor judgment, the public’s affection and support for the military are necessary.”