ULCHI FREEDOM SHIELD

Source: indianexpress

INTRODUCTION:

• Recently, South Korea and the united states began their biggest joint military drills since 2017, called the ulchi freedom shield.
• a tri-service exercise involving thousands of troops and live-fire exercises.
• Separately, Korea began four days of civil defence drills designed to boost government readiness.
• These twin exercises were aimed at improving the country’s preparedness to match changing patterns of war, with evolving cyber threats against key facilities such as chip factories and supply chains.

BACKGROUND:

• Ulchi Freedom shield, are an annual military exercise that the two allies have held for many years to prepare for a possible conflict with North Korea.
• It was earlier referred to by the names ulchi freedom guardian and ulchi focus lens.
• Ulchi is a reference to the legendary Korean general Eulji Mundeok, who lived in the sixth—seventh centuries.
• The drills had been scaled back significantly because of the covid-19 pandemic.
• President Yoon's predecessor, president Moon Jae-in, had put his faith in the so-called "sunshine policy" towards Pyongyang.
• Officially known as “ the reconciliation and cooperation policy towards the north”
• Also, former US president Donald trump thought the drills were too expensive and too provocative.

Recent changes:

• President Yoon, who assumed office in May, vowed to normalize these joint exercises.
• Yoon had criticized moon.s efforts to engage with North Korea, and had accused him of being “submissive”.
• He has backed the drills, which will continue through September 1, as necessary to face real scenarios.

Purpose of the drills:

• According to a report in Korean times, the drills will include a rehearsal of “scenarios such as responding to North Korea's attacks on key industrial facilities including an airport, a semiconductor factory or a nuclear power plant. etc
• The training script reflects many of the actual combat situations being experienced in Ukraine, which has been defending its territory against Russia.
• To maintain peace in the Korean peninsula which is built on South Korea's airtight defence preparedness.

The threat of tensions in the region:

• North Korea after testing 8 missiles in 2021 and four in 2020,
• in this year North Korea fired an unprecedented number of missiles this year.
• In the course, more than 30 missiles have been fired, including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) in May.
• And the country is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test later this year.
• Before the joint drills, North Korea rejected the south’s proposal that Pyongyang gives up its nuclear capabilities in phases, in return for economic benefits.