S.Korea, U.S. to Stage Massive Drill Amid Global Instability

South Korean and U.S. troops stage a massive military exercise this month, preparing for emergencies amid rising geopolitical instability. 

The exercise, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield, includes scenarios like a bomb at a nuclear plant, a fire at a semiconductor factory and paralysis of the banking network. It is held from Aug. 22-Sept. 1. 

The Defense Ministry here made the plans public in a report to the National Assembly on Monday.

The ministry said it will boost capabilities by combining civil defense training and military drills. Real-life scenarios will be based on latest international conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and possible threats to critical infrastructure here.  

Soldiers will also practice responding to terrorist attacks on airports and drone attacks on civilian and military facilities, as well as repairing damaged public facilities like subway stations. 

A government official said, "If an emergency breaks out on the Korean Peninsula, it will be hybrid warfare like the one in Ukraine. We feel the need to prepare for that and conduct drills accordingly." 

There are fears that South Korea's nuclear plants could become priority targets for attacks by North Korean special forces, while microchip plants could also become targets of attacks from the North or terrorists groups because their destruction could send shockwaves through the global supply chain.