Seoul: South Korea and the United States have commenced a significant annual joint military exercise aimed at bolstering their combined defense capabilities in response to military threats from North Korea.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Freedom Shield exercise, which spans until March 20, comes in the wake of North Korea's persistent weapons development and its expanding military cooperation with Russia. This year's drill marks the first major military exercise since US President Donald Trump assumed office, with the US military reiterating its security commitment to South Korea.

The 11-day exercise features a combination of computer-simulated drills and on-field training, designed to enhance interoperability between the two nations. South Korea plans to deploy approximately 19,000 troops, with the joint forces set to conduct 16 large-scale on-field drills, an increase from last year's 10 exercises, as reported by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the US Forces Korea, stated in a recent press briefing, "The ironclad commitment to the Republic of Korea is as strong as ever. We are fully in Freedom Shield 2025. What we are doing right now is building our readiness, capabilities to defend the Republic of Korea against any threat."

North Korea, on the other hand, has condemned the joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States, labeling them as a "dangerous provocative act." Freedom Shield is one of the two major annual exercises conducted by the allies, based on an all-out war scenario. The other exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, is typically held in August.