Key S. Korea-US military drills begin amid OPCON transition push

South Korea and the United States commenced their major summer military drills on Monday, with Seoul aiming to utilize the exercises to expedite the process of reclaiming wartime operational command (OPCON) from Washington. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, set to continue until August 27, encompasses combined and all-domain operations, designed to enhance the allies' readiness and capabilities by simulating realistic threats representative of the swiftly evolving modern warfare.

The UFS is a flagship exercise conducted jointly by the allies every year, aimed at training for contingencies against North Korea, alongside the Freedom Shield (FS) that occurs in the spring. This year's UFS comes at a time when South Korea is endeavoring to regain wartime command from the U.S. before the term of the Lee Jae Myung administration expires in 2030, or possibly even sooner, though discrepancies persist with the U.S. regarding the timeline.

The South Korean military anticipates that the ongoing UFS will contribute to the preparations for a conditions-based OPCON transition. Both Seoul and Washington are collaborating on the OPCON transition.