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The United States and South Korea have begun a large-scale joint military exercise near the North Korean border, resulting in condemnation from North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un.
Some shit you should know before you read: Every year, the US and South Korea hold numerous military drills designed to improve combat readiness and strengthen their ability to respond to potential threats. These exercises serve both as training opportunities to ensure their forces remain prepared for any conflict and as a deterrent aimed at discouraging North Korean aggression. However, North Korea consistently denounces these drills, viewing them as rehearsals for an invasion and often responding with missile tests, military displays, or escalatory rhetoric. Both China and North Korea frequently accuse the US and South Korea of provoking tensions, arguing that these exercises destabilize the region, while Washington and Seoul counter that it is Pyongyang’s weapons programs and military provocations that fuel instability.
What’s going on now: The US and South Korea have kicked off a 21-day joint military exercise near the North Korean border, designed to enhance combat coordination and operational readiness in extreme winter conditions. The drills, which began on February 4, are taking place at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, just 16 miles from the DMZ, and involve roughly 2,000 troops from both nations. Over 150 military assets are being used, including US AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, M-777 howitzers, and Stryker armored vehicles, as well as South Korean K1A2 tanks and K21 infantry fighting vehicles. The exercises feature live-fire drills, combined ground and air operations, and simulated attacks, testing the ability of both forces to conduct joint operations and respond to enemy threats in mountainous terrain and freezing temperatures.
A key focus of the drills is improving multi-domain combat coordination, where ground troops, tanks, artillery, and aircraft operate together to strike multiple objectives simultaneously. One exercise involved South Korean tanks advancing across open terrain while US and South Korean infantry attacked an enemy position inaccessible to vehicles. US forces are also using the drills to acclimate to Korea’s harsh winter conditions, with troops practicing cold-weather survival techniques.
North Korea is pissed: In response, North Korea condemned the joint US-South Korean exercises, calling them dangerous provocations that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) criticized the drills as “military provocations being committed in a frantic way” and warned that “hostile and risky actions will only lead to undesired results.” North Korea has long denounced such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion, and this year was no different, with the regime accusing Washington and Seoul of “escalating the regional tension” through their military activities.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also directly blamed the US-led trilateral military cooperation with South Korea and Japan for creating a “new conflicting structure” in the region, stating that it has resulted in a “military imbalance” that threatens North Korea’s security. During a speech to military officials, Kim reaffirmed Pyongyang’s commitment to “more highly developing the nuclear forces” and hinted at new plans to bolster “all deterrences,” though he did not specify what those plans entail. He accused the US of being responsible for “the world’s big and small disputes” and defended North Korea’s push for “an unlimited defense capability” as necessary for survival.
This all comes as President Donald Trump has expressed interest in rekindling diplomatic talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an effort to mend relations. During a recent press conference, Trump touted his relationship with Kim and hinted that he may pursue new negotiations. While his previous summits with Kim failed to produce a denuclearization deal, Trump believes that direct engagement with North Korea could still yield progress.
