The United States and South Korea will conduct joint military drills known as “Freedom Shield” next month, military officials from both countries announced on Feb. 25.
The directors of public affairs for the two allies announced at a joint meeting held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, that the 2026 Freedom Shield will take place between March 9 and 19, according to a statement from the South Korean Ministry of National Defense.
Freedom Shield is a defense exercise conducted every spring. It is expected to involve approximately 18,000 troops—similar in scale to previous years, the statement said.
U.S. Army Col. Ryan Donald, director of public affairs of the U.S. Forces Korea, said the Freedom Shield exercise “reflects conflicts and lessons learned from around the world, training soldiers to address challenges and ensuring readiness to defend the Republic of Korea under any circumstances.”…
US, South Korea to Conduct Freedom Shield Joint Military Drills in March
