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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

ROK-US Ssangyong exercise canceled; U.S. cites Middle East situation

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The planned ROK-US combined 'Ssangyong' exercise for next month has been canceled.
  • The U.S. cited operational constraints due to the Middle East situation as the reason for cancellation.
  • North Korea's Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Kursk liberation operation.
  • South Korea's Defense Ministry stated there are no immediate signs of North Korea sending additional troops to Russia, despite ongoing preparations.

The planned South Korea-U.S. combined 'Ssangyong' exercise, scheduled for next month, has been canceled, according to sources. The U.S. military reportedly informed South Korea of the decision, citing operational limitations caused by the ongoing situation in the Middle East. The Ssangyong exercise, a large-scale amphibious training involving over 10,000 troops from both nations, is typically conducted every two years.

There are no immediate signs of North Korea sending additional troops to Russia, although preparations are ongoing.

— South Korea's Ministry of National DefenseAddressing speculation about North Korea's potential troop deployment to Russia.

In related news, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony in Pyongyang commemorating the first anniversary of the Kursk liberation operation. The event, held on April 26, was reported by the Korean Central News Agency on April 27. This comes amidst ongoing speculation about North Korea potentially sending additional troops to support Russia in its conflict.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense addressed these concerns, stating on June 23 that while North Korea's preparations for troop deployment to Russia are ongoing, there are currently no discernible signs of an imminent dispatch of additional forces. The ministry noted that significant casualties are presumed among the North Korean troops already deployed. The rumors of further troop deployment intensified last month when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that North Korea was planning to send approximately 30,000 troops to Russia.

The U.S. cited operational constraints due to the Middle East situation as the reason for the cancellation.

— Unnamed SourceExplaining the U.S. rationale for canceling the Ssangyong exercise.

Such a large-scale deployment would necessitate the transport of troops and equipment via transport ships from major North Korean ports like Chongjin, which would likely be detected by South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies. Previously, Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the North Korean Workers' Party, dismissed the additional troop deployment rumors as a fabrication by Kyiv. Following the cancellation of the Ssangyong exercise, the South Korean military is reportedly planning to conduct independent training during the period originally allocated for the joint drills.

The additional troop deployment rumors are a fabrication by Kyiv.

— Kim Yo JongNorth Korean official dismissing claims of troop deployment to Russia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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