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Korea, U.S. to stage 22 field training drills during Freedom Shield exercise

Published: 27 Feb. 2026, 19:09

An aircraft flies during a Korea-U.S. operations drill on Nov. 4, 2025. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF/YONHAP]

South Korea and the United States have agreed to conduct 22 field training exercises (FTX) as initially planned during their annual joint springtime military exercise next month, officials said Friday, marking a sharp reduction from the previous year.

The number of FTXs planned for this year is about a third of the 51 field drills conducted during last year's Freedom Shield (FS) exercise under the conservative government of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The allies announced Wednesday that this year's FS exercise will run from March 9 to 19, but did not disclose the scope of the Warrior Shield FTX in a rare move, saying they are in consultation over the details.

"South Korea and the U.S. have been closely coordinating over the joint live field training drills," a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said during a regular press briefing.

"We plan to conduct 22 field training drills as initially planned during the FS exercise period."

A U.S. Forces Korea official also said the allies had agreed to conduct 22 live field training events showcasing "tough, realistic, demanding training" as expected from the Korean and U.S. public.

Troops conduct a joint water infiltration drill at Gunwi Lake in Daegu, North Gyeongsang, on Sept. 23,2025. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFFS/YONHAP]

A JCS official explained that the move illustrates the military's bid to "spread out" the combined drills to ensure a year-round readiness posture.

This year's FTXs consist of six large-scale live field training exercises at the brigade-level and 10 battalion-level as well as six company-level drills.

South Korea is believed to have proposed further reducing the number of field drills as it seeks to resume dialogue with North Korea. But the United States reportedly expressed reservations, citing the arrival of its assets on the ground.

North Korea has long denounced the Seoul-Washington joint military drills as rehearsals for invasion, though the allies said the combined exercise is defensive in nature.

Yonhap