South Korea and the U.S. kicked off an annual bilateral military exercise on Monday, labelled Ulchi Freedom Shield, which will run for 11 days and involve at least 21,000 troops.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticized the exercises, calling them “hostile and confrontational.” In a speech last week, South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae-myung, called for North and South Korea to “end the era of confrontation and hostility and open a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth.”
Ulchi Freedom Shield comes on the heels of another large-scale maritime exercise in the region. Last week, Australia and the Philippines organized an exercise in the South China Sea involving 3,600 soldiers. Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand were observers.
In March, Ottawa and Manila concluded negotiations towards a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, allowing the Philippine and Canadian militaries to operate together in each other’s territories. The agreement is yet to come into force.
