After the publication of the previous article, the author received many comments accusing him of unjustifiably criticizing President Lee. After all, he has done so much to resume inter-Korean dialogue!
When it comes to populist politicians like President Lee Jae Myung, researchers should look at deeds rather than words. Deeds show that inter-Korean dialogue is going as usual. The scale and intensity of the exercises between South Korea and the United States remain the same. Judge for yourself how much has happened in the two months since Lee took power.
Timeline of events
On June 18-19, artillery units conducted live firing at the Chilseong training ground in Hwacheon, just 5 km from the military demarcation line. This activity in the border area with North Korea was explained by the South Korean military as a continuation of an approved exercise plan without any new instructions from the leadership.
On June 18, “as part of efforts to strengthen trilateral security cooperation against military threats from North Korea”, the air forces of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan conducted joint exercises over the sea area south of Jeju Island. Two F-15K fighters of the South Korean Air Force, six F-16 fighters of the U.S. Air Force and two F-2 fighters of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force took part in the exercises. According to the South Korean command, the purpose of the exercises was to strengthen cooperation against the background of the deteriorating situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region. Similar exercises are planned to continue in the future.
In response to the trilateral exercises, the DPRK launched about 10 missiles from 240-mm MLRSs in the direction of the Yellow Sea.
On May 19, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated: “We are working together with our South Korean colleagues to deter our adversaries and preserve the free and open Indo-Pacific region”.
From July 7 to 11, special forces troops of the ROK Ground Forces conducted amphibious exercises on Anmyeondo Island, located in the Taean-gun district of Chungcheongnam-do Province. About 150 military personnel of the army special operations command and about 20 pieces of equipment, including special purpose boats, took part in them. The exercises took place during extreme heat. According to the commander of the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo Song-min, the special forces troops managed to strengthen their capabilities to infiltrate marine facilities and test the equipment operation.
On July 11, the Air Forces of the United States, South Korea and Japan conducted joint air maneuvers again. These maneuvers involved an American B-52H strategic bomber, South Korean KF-16 fighters and Japanese F-2 fighters. The purpose of the exercises was to enhance the capabilities of the United States, South Korea and Japan to deter and respond to the growing nuclear missile threats from the DPRK. As noted in a press release from the South Korean Ministry of Defense, the three countries have agreed to step up joint exercises. In response, on August 2, North Korea criticized the exercises, accusing the three participating sides of preparing for “preemptive strikes” against it.
Finally, from mid-July to mid-August, in an attempt to strengthen operational capabilities, South Korean and U.S. naval infantrymen conducted joint exercises, including amphibious landings employing battalions. About 1,500 U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa took part. Together with the South Korean naval infantry, they practiced maneuvering in mountainous areas, as well as river crossing, parachuting, close combat in urban conditions, individual and group combat shooting, missile defense, reconnaissance and decontamination, engineering equipment, evacuation and medical care. The exercise involved drones and tactical ground robots, amphibious assault vehicles (KAAV), Marineon amphibious transport helicopters and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
On the path to new exercises
The ‘traditional autumn escalation’ is approaching. From August 18 to 28, South Korea and the U.S. will hold the annual large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercises. At the same time, about half of the approximately 40 planned field exercises will be postponed to September. This was announced on August 7 at a press conference by the representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces, Colonel Lee Sung-jun. He said that the exercises are “defensive in nature” and will be conducted on a scale similar to previous ones. About 18,000 South Korean military personnel, as well as representatives of several member countries of the UN Command, will take part in them.
In addition, according to a number of military sources, in September, 2025, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will hold the Freedom Edge multidisciplinary exercises, which will be the first joint initiative of its kind in the last 10 months.
Freedom Edge is a combination of two previously conducted exercises, namely the South Korean-American Freedom Shield and the American-Japanese Keen Edge. The exercises, aimed at strengthening trilateral security cooperation, were held for the first time on June 27-29, 2024, in open waters south of Jeju Island. Within their scope the parties practiced maritime missile defense, air defense and other aerial operations, countering submarines, search and rescue operations, interception at sea, and cyber defense. The second Freedom Edge was held on November 13-15, 2024, and consisted of seven parts: naval missile defense, aviation, offensive and defensive actions at sea, anti-piracy, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, cyber defense.
Trilateral security contacts continue
On July 12, 2025, diplomats from the United States, Japan and South Korea held their first trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Forum since Lee Jae Myung was elected president. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yun-ju reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the denuclearization of the DPRK and agreed to continue containting North Korea through trilateral cooperation. An agreement was reached on close cooperation at all levels within the framework of the USA-ROK-Japan format. The allies discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region, the denuclearization of the DPRK, opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, digital technologies, shipbuilding, supply chains of key mineral resources, and artificial intelligence. The representative of the Republic of Korea, however, explained Seoul’s new policy towards Pyongyang aimed at reducing tensions and resuming dialogue between North and South.
It is possible that the new government has not yet got around to changing the schedule of exercises, and the author hoped that when the parliament approved the new Minister of Defense (by the way, a civilian official) and he would implement a new course, something would change. However, when Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held his first telephone conversation with the new head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, on July 31, the parties confirmed the “sealed-with-blood” nature of the alliance, discussed deterring threats from the DPRK and agreed to deepen cooperation, including joint projects in shipbuilding, maintenance and repair of military equipment, as well as in the field of advanced technologies.
It should be noted that the phrase “sealed with blood” is often used by the PRC and the DPRK, but its use in the South is no longer a one-time occurrence. President Lee Jae Myung, who often referred to the United States as occupiers when he was an oppositionist, said not so long ago: “Through joint efforts in politics, economics, security and culture, we will continue to strengthen the South Korean-American alliance, sealed with blood”.
On August 7, 2025, the defense ministers of South Korea and Japan, Ahn Gyu-back and Gen Nakatani, held telephone talks and agreed to continue bilateral security cooperation, as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States.
In sum…It is no coincidence that Pentagon Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby has already described the South Korean president as a “model” in readiness to “take on more responsibilities for defense against the DPRK” and increase military spending. Those who see President Lee as a real supporter of North-South cooperation and who wants to reduce regional tensions imagine will likely have to wait longer than expected to see positive changes in this direction.
Konstantin Asmolov, PhD in History, leading research fellow at the Centre for Korean Studies of the Institute of China and Modern Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences
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