Reuters
Published Aug 24, 2022 04:26AM ET
By Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) - For the first time a South Korean general is commanding annual joint drills with American forces, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, a step toward Seoul's long-delayed goal of gaining command of allied forces in the event of a war.
The allies began on Monday their largest joint military drills in years, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, with a resumption of field training, aiming to strengthen readiness for potential weapons tests by North Korea.
The exercises include an 11-day "computer simulated, defensc-oriented training event" to improve allied readiness, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said in a statement.
In the exercise, U.S. Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, who commands USFK troops, the U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces Command (CFC), and the United Nations Command (UNC), switched positions with his deputy, South Korean Gen. Ahn Byung-seok, USFK said.
The move was based on future command plans outlined by U.S and South Korean defence secretaries last year, LaCamera said in the statement.
"This is significant because, for the first time ever, the CFC deputy commander will take the lead as the future CFC commander," he added.
Since the 1950-1953 Korean War, the American military has retained authority to control hundreds of thousands of South Korean forces alongside the roughly 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country if another war breaks out.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has said South Korea is not ready to take operational control of those joint forces, after a push by his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, faced delays over the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.
Yoon has cited a need for greater surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, among other factors.
South Korean Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup participated in Wednesday's drills, which the ministry said aimed at better deterring and responding to North Korea's nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats.
North Korea has criticised the joint drills as a rehearsal for invasion, calling them a "hostile policy" that proves Washington and Seoul are truly not interested in diplomacy.
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.