(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Aug. 13)

North Korea is gaining battlefield experience as South Korea and the United States reduce their military training exercises, according to reports from the Korea Herald. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, a combined military drill conducted by South Korea and the US, is seeing a decrease in field training exercises from 22 last year to 14 this year.

Simultaneously, North Korea is accelerating its nuclear threat by deploying troops to fight in Ukraine, gaining real-world combat experience. This year's UFS also serves as an opportunity to assess South Korea's ability to lead the combined forces after assuming wartime operational control from the United States.

The South Korea-US allies aim to further strengthen their combined defense capabilities, yet their actions of curtailing military exercises and transferring wartime OPCON (Operational Control) are causing public concern about national security. The transfer of wartime OPCON, scheduled for November, should be determined after necessary military capabilities and conditions have been met. However, the South Korean government plans to set a target year for the transfer at the Security Consultative Meeting in November.

With the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia in 2024 becoming a reality, North Korea may receive advanced military technology in return. This could pose a new level of threat to South Korea's security. Recent military discipline issues within South Korea, including soldiers standing guard with unloaded rifles and nearly shooting down a US drone during a training exercise, further highlight gaps in South Korea-US coordination.

Diplomatic friction between Seoul and Washington over controversies surrounding Coupang and South Korea's Information and Communications Network Act adds to the concerns about the weakening of their military alliance.