South Korea and the United States will conduct the Freedom Shield 2025 (FS) joint exercise from March 10 to 20 to enhance their combined defense posture. During the FS exercise, the allies plan to incorporate realistic threats into their training scenarios, reflecting strategic and tactical shifts in North Korean military capabilities, recent military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and other global conflicts.
In a joint briefing on Thursday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea and the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) announced that the exercise will include an expanded full-spectrum field training exercise (FTX) covering land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. This aims to enhance interoperability between the allies and demonstrate strengthened combined deterrence.
Approximately 19,000 South Korean troops will participate in the FS exercise. In addition, United Nations Command (UNC) member nations will take part, while the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) will monitor compliance with the Armistice Agreement.
In 2025, the allies will conduct 16 combined FTX drills, up from 10 last year, with around 70 open to the public. The exercise will also incorporate training scenarios simulating drone attacks, GPS jamming, cyberattacks, and other emerging threats.
The exercise will also focus on practical training for responding to North Korea’s nuclear threats. Colonel Lee Sung Joon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, stated that South Korea and the U.S. will strengthen their preparedness by rehearsing procedures for responding to escalating nuclear threats. Additionally, integrated defense posture drills will be conducted with local governments and relevant agencies, with more drills planned than 2024.
Colonel Ryan Donald, spokesperson for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), UNC, and CFC, emphasized that this year’s exercise aims to prepare South Korean and U.S. forces for both modern and future warfare scenarios while overcoming various operational challenges.
The Army will start with joint fire combat training, followed by special strike operations and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) elimination exercises. The Navy will improve its operational capabilities through integrated port protection and WMD maritime proliferation prevention. The Marine Corps will conduct training linked to the KMEP (U.S. Marine Corps training program in Korea).
During the joint briefing, both South Korea and the U.S. emphasized the strength of their alliance. Colonel Donald reaffirmed that the U.S.-ROK alliance is ironclad and stronger than ever, highlighting the commitment to strengthening joint defense posture and interoperability to protect both nations from threats to South Korea.
The transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea was also addressed. Colonel Lee stated that the transition would occur once the conditions were met. He added that the allies are currently pursuing a stable OPCON transition process, and joint evaluations related to the OPCON transition will be conducted during the exercise.
South Korea and the U.S. conduct two major theater-level combined defense exercises each year, assuming a full-scale war scenario on the Korean Peninsula. The “Freedom Shield” (FS) exercise is held in the first half of the year, and the “Ulchi Freedom Shield” (UFS) exercise is held in the second half.
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