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Gov't weighing postponement of large-scale joint military field exercise

Published: 30 Sep. 2025, 21:00

Tanks open fire at the Munhye-ri training camp in Cheorwon, Gangwon, as part of the annual Hoguk joint field training exercise on Oct. 21, 2024. [YONHAP]

The government is reportedly weighing a plan to postpone this year’s large-scale autumn military drill — the Hoguk, a routine joint field training exercise (FTX) — in a move analysts see as an additional conciliatory step toward North Korea amid efforts to reduce tensions and rebuild trust.

Sources inside the government said this year’s 2025 Hoguk training, to be led by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), had been scheduled to begin on Oct. 15 and run for about 10 days, with infantry divisions under the 5th and 7th Army Corps and armored brigades preparing for live maneuver exercises. The Ministry of National Defense and the JCS have lately discussed adjusting the training schedule, and postponement — rather than cancellation — has emerged as a prominent option.

Hoguk is a combined Army, Navy and Air Force field training exercise designed to test joint operational capability and military readiness. Last year’s exercise, held in late October, involved the three branches as well as the Marines, joint units and U.S. Forces Korea. This year, officials say the military could either postpone the live FTX component or scale back FTX activity in favor of more command-post exercises.

Government officials have pointed to preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit as one logistical rationale for schedule adjustments, although the APEC leaders’ meeting itself is set for Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 in Gyeongju. Critics inside and outside the military have questioned why a regularly held annual exercise would be reconsidered only about two weeks before it was to begin. The Defense Ministry acknowledged related reviews have taken place but said no decision has been finalized.

Observers link the deliberations to a wider political context. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sharply criticized recent South Korea-U.S. exercises — listing a range of drills from full‑scale live maneuvers to trilateral drills — and accused them of “expanding and strengthening aggressive war rehearsals,” comments that have heightened concern about reciprocal escalation. Officials note Pyongyang has historically reacted sensitively to large live maneuver exercises.

The consideration to delay Hoguk follows public calls for restraint from the new Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young, who, upon taking office, urged steps to pause certain live-fire and maneuver drills along the military demarcation line as part of confidence-building measures. Defense officials say they will continue to review force posture, operational needs and readiness requirements and may selectively adjust training plans going forward.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG, SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]