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2w ago

U.S. and South Korea Start Freedom Shield Drills as Seoul Concedes It Can't Block U.S. Weapons Moves

Officials refuse to confirm reported Patriot transfers, leaving uncertainty over U.S. air-defense posture on the peninsula.

A soldier stands at a North Korean military guard post flying a national flag, seen from Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung delivers his speech during an event marking Korea's 107th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement in Seoul, South Korea, March 1, 2026. Yonhap via REUTERS
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Overview

  • The 11-day Freedom Shield exercise runs March 9–19 with roughly 18,000 troops and 22 field drills, emphasizing readiness and preparations for wartime operational control transition.
  • President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea cannot stop any redeployments by U.S. Forces Korea and asserted that deterrence against North Korea would not be undermined.
  • USFK and South Korea’s Defense Ministry declined to discuss asset movements as flight data showed C-5 and C-17 departures from Osan and Reuters photos captured Patriot launchers on the tarmac.
  • Kim Yo Jong denounced the drills through state media as a provocative war rehearsal and warned of “unimaginably terrible consequences.”
  • News outlets reported temporary shifts of Patriot batteries and, according to the Washington Post citing U.S. officials, parts of THAAD toward the Middle East, with analysts warning of miscalculation risks despite limited expected impact on deterrence.