South Korea-US Alliance
North Korea fires projectile during South Korea-US joint drills
Imeripotiwa na AI Picha iliyoundwa na AI
North Korea fired at least one unidentified projectile eastward on Saturday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The launch occurred as South Korea and the United States conducted their key springtime military exercise. Pyongyang has long criticized the allies' drills as preparations for an invasion.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will visit the United States next week to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The allies plan to discuss wartime operational control transfer and other pending security issues.
Imeripotiwa na AI
The South Korean and U.S. militaries have postponed announcing a date for their major springtime Freedom Shield exercise due to differences over the scale of on-field drills. The U.S. expressed reluctance to South Korea's proposal to minimize field training, citing already arrived troops and equipment. The two sides plan to announce the exercise later this month or early March.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are set to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas on Monday. The visit comes a day ahead of their annual security talks and is part of Hegseth's trip to South Korea. It marks the first joint visit by the allies' defense chiefs since October 2017.