Brunson's call for year-round drills short on details

South Korea’s military said it would maintain its two major annual exercises with the United States while continuing joint training throughout the year, after USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson called for more consistent training. The allies hold Freedom Shield in March and Ulchi Freedom Shield in August, alongside smaller field drills during the year. No specific new training arrangements have been decided, and it remains unclear whether Brunson’s remarks will change the exercises. Experts said training content should address evolving battlefield challenges, while U.S. political support for expanding drills is uncertain.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the allies were flexibly developing a balanced year-round training system while firmly maintaining regular combined exercises in both halves of the year.

Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield are large-scale exercises centered on command-post operations.

A military official said changes to exercise scenarios based on North Korea’s experience in Russia’s war against Ukraine would require a clearer assessment of Pyongyang’s evolving capabilities.

Shin Jong-woo said allied troops need to practice countering drones, concealing troops and equipment from aerial surveillance, and restoring communications disrupted by electronic warfare.

President Donald Trump ordered August’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise shortened from 11 days to five.

Published Oct 27, 2026 2:09 pm KST

Updated Oct 27, 2026 6:17 pm KST

Korea vows to maintain major joint exercises

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, speaks during a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan District, Seoul, Oct. 21. Yonhap

Seoul’s military says it will maintain its two major annual exercises with Washington while continuing joint training throughout the year, following a call by the top U.S. commander in South Korea for more consistent training.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies are “flexibly conducting and developing a balanced year-round training system while firmly maintaining their regular combined exercises in both halves of the year.”

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said at an American Chamber of Commerce in Korea event on Wednesday that he had met JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung to discuss the upcoming Freedom Shield exercise.

“We can’t hinge our readiness on two exercises a year,” Brunson said. “It’s got to be training throughout the entirety of the year where we continue to shape ourselves to meet the objective set forward for us by our national command authorities.”

The allies hold Freedom Shield in March and Ulchi Freedom Shield in August, both large-scale exercises centered on command-post operations. They also conduct smaller combined field drills throughout the year.

Brunson previously advocated spreading training across the peninsula to avoid making allied forces easy targets. At a U.S. Army conference in Washington on Oct. 12, he suggested training between the two major exercises and operating in a more dispersed fashion, drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine.

Asked to clarify Brunson’s latest remarks, USFK said it had no separate official statement and requested that his comments be taken as stated, describing them as a continuation of views he had expressed previously.

It remains unclear whether his remarks will lead to changes in the frequency, locations or content of existing exercises.

A military official said no specific new training arrangements had been decided. The official said changes to exercise scenarios based on North Korea’s experience in Russia’s war against Ukraine would first require a clearer assessment of Pyongyang’s evolving capabilities.

South Korean and U.S. military engineers construct a combined floating bridge during a joint river-crossing exercise along Namhan River in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Army

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said the content of training matters as much as its frequency. Allied troops need to practice countering drones, concealing troops and equipment from aerial surveillance, and restoring communications disrupted by electronic warfare, he said.

“How can we respond to a changing battlefield if North Korea is changing but the objectives and content of our training remain the same?” Shin said.

“When communications are cut, troops also need to practice connecting a backup line and restoring them quickly,” he added.

Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum, a former commander of the Army’s Special Warfare Command, cautioned against interpreting Brunson’s comments simply as a call for more exercises or changes in troop deployments.

“What Brunson meant was adjusting things so that readiness is maintained properly throughout the year,” Chun said. He also questioned whether the Korean military would be willing to carry out more demanding training arrangements.

Leif-Eric Easley, professor of International Studies at Ewha Womans University, said Pyongyang was gaining combat experience and feedback from Russia on improving its weapons, threatening advantages long held by Seoul.

“This threatens to erode South Korea’s technological and training advantages, meaning Seoul should plan more diverse and frequent defense exercises with the U.S. and Japan,” Easley said.

However, Washington’s political direction could complicate any expansion. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the reduction of August’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise from 11 days to five, raising questions about whether additional drills would have White House backing.

Sean King, an Asia-focused analyst at Park Strategies, said Brunson appeared at odds with Trump’s approach.

“General Brunson appears to be out of step with President Trump here, as the president’s own recent pronouncements and actions demonstrate he wants fewer U.S.-ROK military exercises (not more),” King said.

“And why would Seoul commit to any reimagined, expanded exercises if it now knows Trump may well again curtail, or cancel, them on a seeming whim?” he added.

韩国军方表示，在驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军呼吁加强联合训练后，韩方将继续与美国举行每年两次的大型联合军演，并在全年持续开展联合训练。韩美两国分别于每年3月和8月举行“自由之盾”和“乙支自由之盾”联合军演，此外全年还会进行一些规模较小的野外演习。目前尚未确定新的具体训练安排，布伦森的讲话是否会改变演习内容也尚不明朗。专家指出，训练内容应着重应对不断变化的战场挑战，而美国是否会支持扩大联合军演的政治支持尚不明朗。

参谋长联席会议表示，盟军正在灵活地发展一个平衡的全年训练体系，同时坚定地保持每年上下半年定期联合演习。

“自由之盾”和“乙支自由之盾”是以指挥所作战为中心的大规模演习。

一位军方官员表示，根据朝鲜在俄罗斯对乌克兰战争中的经验来调整演习方案，需要对平壤不断变化的能力进行更清晰的评估。

申钟宇表示，盟军部队需要练习如何应对无人机、如何躲避空中侦察、如何恢复被电子战中断的通信。

唐纳德·特朗普总统下令将8月份的“乙支自由之盾”演习从11天缩短至5天。

发布于2026年10月27日下午2:09（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月27日 下午6:17（韩国标准时间）

韩国承诺将继续举行大规模联合军演。

10月21日，驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军在首尔龙山区蒙德里安首尔梨泰院酒店出席由韩国美国商会主办的午餐会并发表讲话。（韩联社）

韩国军方表示，将继续与华盛顿举行每年两次的大型联合演习，并在全年继续进行联合训练。此前，驻韩美军最高指挥官呼吁加强持续性训练。

美国参谋长联席会议（JCS）表示，盟军正在“灵活地开展和发展均衡的全年训练体系，同时坚定地保持每年上下半年的定期联合演习”。

驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军周三在韩国美国商会举办的活动上表示，他已与参谋长联席会议主席金勇成将军会面，讨论即将举行的“自由之盾”演习。

布伦森说：“我们不能把战备状态寄托在一年两次演习上。我们必须全年持续训练，不断提升自身能力，以实现国家指挥机构为我们设定的目标。”

盟军分别于3月和8月举行“自由之盾”和“乙支自由之盾”大规模演习，这两次演习均以指挥所作战为核心。此外，盟军全年还会进行规模较小的联合野外演习。

布伦森此前曾主张将训练分散到整个半岛，以避免盟军成为轻易的攻击目标。在10月12日于华盛顿举行的美国陆军会议上，他建议在两次大型演习之间穿插训练，并采取更加分散的作战方式，借鉴乌克兰战争的经验教训。

当被要求澄清布伦森的最新言论时，驻韩美军表示没有单独的官方声明，并要求按照他所说的内容来理解他的言论，称这些言论是他之前表达的观点的延续。

目前还不清楚他的言论是否会导致现有演习的频率、地点或内容发生变化。

一位军方官员表示，尚未确定具体的训练安排。该官员称，若要根据朝鲜在俄乌战争中的经验调整演习方案，首先需要对平壤不断变化的能力进行更清晰的评估。

周四，在京畿道骊州市南汉江沿岸举行的联合渡河演习中，韩国和美国军事工程师正在搭建一座联合浮桥。图片由韩国陆军提供。

韩国国防安全论坛秘书长申钟佑表示，训练内容与训练频率同等重要。他指出，盟军需要演练反无人机作战、隐蔽部队和装备以躲避空中侦察，以及恢复被电子战干扰的通信。

申说：“如果朝鲜的形势发生了变化，而我们的训练目标和内容却保持不变，我们如何应对不断变化的战场？”

“当通信中断时，部队还需要练习连接备用线路并迅速恢复通信，”他补充道。

陆军特种作战司令部前司令、退役中将 Chun In-bum 告诫人们不要简单地将 Brunson 的言论解读为呼吁进行更多演习或改变部队部署。

“布伦森的意思是调整一些措施，以确保全年都能保持良好的战备状态，”春说道。他还质疑韩国军方是否愿意执行更高强度的训练安排。

梨花女子大学国际研究教授李夫-埃里克·伊斯利表示，平壤正在从俄罗斯获得作战经验和改进武器的反馈，这威胁到首尔长期以来拥有的优势。

“这可能会削弱韩国的技术和训练优势，这意味着首尔应该与美国和日本计划进行更多样化和更频繁的国防演习，”伊兹利说。

然而，华盛顿的政治走向可能会使任何扩大演习规模的计划变得复杂。美国总统唐纳德·特朗普下令将8月份的“乙支自由之盾”联合军演从11天缩减至5天，这引发了人们对白宫是否会支持进一步演习的质疑。

Park Strategies 的亚洲分析师 Sean King 表示，布伦森的做法似乎与特朗普的做法相悖。

“布伦森将军在这个问题上似乎与特朗普总统的立场不一致，因为总统最近的言论和行动表明，他希望减少美韩联合军事演习（而不是增加）。”金说道。

“如果首尔现在知道特朗普很可能会再次凭一时兴起而缩减或取消这些重新构想、扩大规模的演习，那么首尔又为何要承诺参与这些演习呢？”他补充道。