Over 17,000 American Soldiers to Participate in Joint Exercise with South Korea

The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced that the joint exercise between the United States and South Korea, known as "Ulchi Freedom Guardian," will begin on Monday, August 21, and will last for 10 days. The announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense was reflected in Reuters on Friday, stating that 17,500 U.S. military personnel will be present at this exercise. According to the announcement, forces from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom will also participate in the exercise. Tensions between the United States and North Korea have escalated sharply in recent weeks, primarily driven by Pyongyang's missile tests and nuclear program. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council approved new sanctions against North Korea, but this did not lead to a change in the country's behavior, to the extent that Pyongyang threatened to target the island of Guam in the ocean, which is administered by the U.S. In this context, the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the joint exercise with South Korea is a defensive drill designed with computer software aimed at increasing the readiness of forces and ensuring regional stability on the Korean Peninsula. Previous reports indicated that the "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" exercise would involve naval, ground, and air operations. The name of this exercise refers to one of South Korea's generals. A day before the Pentagon's announcement regarding the exercise, South Korean President Moon Jae-in assured that there would be no war on the Korean Peninsula. He stated that the United States has agreed not to take any military action against North Korea without South Korea's consent. In this context, North Korea postponed its missile launch towards Guam; the U.S. stated it is ready for negotiations. Trump described North Korea's leader's decision regarding Guam as "wise." The South Korean President reiterated that there would be no war on the Korean Peninsula. There has been an increase in U.S.-Japan defense cooperation to counter the North Korean threat.