An FA-50 light combat aircraft takes off during a combined drill between South Korea and the U.S. on Monday. The allies have begun their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises to counter threats from North Korea. Courtesy of South Korea's Air Force



Yoon calls for 'realistic' training for possible psychological, nuclear warfare



By Jung Min-ho



The South Korean and U.S. militaries began their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises, Monday, focusing on preparations for a rapid transition to wartime operations in case of a North Korean attack.



As part of the training, scheduled to continue until Aug. 31, about 580,000 officials from the government and its agencies will scrutinize the readiness for armed conflict and other types of security emergencies.



This comes amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The same day, North Korea's state media reported that Kim Jong-un, its dictator, inspected the test-launching of "strategic" ― a term used for nuclear weapons ― cruise missiles.





President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap



At a Cabinet meeting, President Yoon Suk Yeol called for "realistic" exercises reflecting the North's war tactics and strategies, saying it would use all means necessary to win once a war breaks out.



He told his Cabinet members to focus on preparing for three specific scenarios: propaganda efforts in the initial stages of the conflict, targeted strikes on key facilities for security and an imminent threat of nuclear attacks.









"At the beginning of the war, North Korea would spread fake news such as disguised peace propaganda to cause confusion and division. Such efforts could disrupt the transition to war operations, which might result in our quick loss," Yoon said.



"Next, North Korea would try to paralyze the society by attacking key facilities for national security. If North Korea's missiles, drones or cyberattacks destroy our nuclear power plants or communication network system, the damage to the people's lives could be enormous … To meet the objectives of its war, the North would use all means possible, including nuclear weapons."





U.S. troops prepare for joint drills with South Korea's military at their base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Newsis



Some 30 field training programs have been prepared for, with U.S. troops as well as personnel from nine member countries of the U.N. Command ― Australia, Canada, France, Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines ― joining the South Korean Army, Air Force and Navy in the exercises.



The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, an observer of the Korean Armistice Agreement on the peninsula, will observe the whole process of the UFS.



In a statement, the Air Force said it carried out drills involving F-35A, KF-16 and other fighter jets as well as HH-47 rotorcrafts under a scenario of invasion from North Korean warplanes. The goal was to improve the interoperability between the air and land forces in detecting and striking down the North's warplanes while minimizing possible collateral damage.



The annual exercises have expanded since last year under Yoon after being scaled back during the previous administration which refrained from combined military activities with the U.S. in an effort to appease Pyongyang.





This photo released on Monday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watching a soaring missile during his inspection of a weapons test in North Korea on an unspecified date. Yonhap