Recently, South Korea's Ministry of Defense has successively disclosed a series of military operations, including bilateral multilateral military exercises, new weapons tests and installations, overseas deployment dynamics and weapons exports. Observers said that in a time of turmoil in the domestic political situation, the South Korean army frequently demonstrated its military strength in an attempt to stabilize the morale of the people. However, in the frequent exercises and training activities, accidents in various military branches in South Korea have occurred frequently, which has caused great negative reactions in South Korea.

  Alliance Bundle Shows Martial Power

  It is reported that the frequency and scale of the bilateral multilateral military exercises that the South Korean army has participated in has exceeded the level of the same period in previous years, and is characterized by the characteristics of continuous and cross-parallel.

  The joint military exercise of "Freedom Shield" that ended in late March was carried out in stages throughout South Korea and surrounding sea and airspace, and the entire process of rehearsing the containment, defense, counterattack and control bureaus in multi-domain war scenarios. The South Korean military has accelerated benchmarking with the US military in terms of combat mission organization, operation implementation and battlefield management. During the same period, some ships and aircraft of the South Korean Navy went to Guam to participate in the two-week joint anti-submarine exercise. Two South Korean P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft compete on the same stage with P-8A, P-1 anti-submarine patrol aircraft and ships from the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries. During this period, South Korea, the United States and Japan conducted consultations and exchanges on the division of tasks in the joint operation. What is being carried out in succession with the above military exercises is the three-sided maritime military exercises between South Korea, the United States and Japan. The South Korean Navy's "King Sejong" Aegis and the "Daejo-young" missile destroyer participated in the exercise and were included in the US Navy's "Carl Vinson" aircraft carrier strike group to carry out joint ballistic missile defense drills.

  In addition to the above exercises, the South Korean Navy also dispatched the "Lujifeng" landing ship to Thailand to participate in the "Golden Cobra" exercises of many countries; South Korean space combat forces and the US Space Force Command in South Korea held joint space command and control training code-named "Polaris Hammer" in Wushan; the Air Force has successively dispatched F-35A and F-16 fighters to train with US Air Force B-1B, F-35A/B and other aircraft. The South Korean Army has disclosed a special mobile support brigade to simulate underground combat exercise videos. The exercise was held in late March at a training ground near Seoul for four days. The participants used explosives to "lock the opponent in an underground tunnel" and then launched a siege. During this period, unmanned equipment was used to carry out reconnaissance, clearance and mine clearance work.

  Intensively show new combat power

  The Korean army also intensively demonstrated new combat power on various occasions. In early March, the South Korean Navy held the first MH-60R "Seahawk" anti-submarine helicopter installation ceremony. This type of machine has the ability to conduct inspections and attacks. South Korea has purchased a total of 12 aircraft, and the first batch will be equipped with the Aegis ship "Zhengzu King" that was put into service not long ago. The South Korean Navy News Office revealed that six P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft introduced from the United States in 2024 will have combat capabilities in the first half of this year. Recently, South Korea's newly established Naval Mobile Fleet Command completed its first exercise, organizing multiple destroyers to practice response support, road blockade and interception operations in the Sea of ​​Japan. The "Wuwu King" missile destroyer went to the Gulf of Aden to carry out the 45th "Qinghai Force" operation. This is the first time that the fleet headquarters has organized ships to carry out actual combat deployments in the long sea after it was established.

  The South Korean Institute of Defense Science has organized a number of new missile tests, including new tactical surface-to-ground missiles and the "Xuanwu"-4 ballistic missile; the South Korean Air Force announced the completion of the second military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, forming a space-based reconnaissance system with a three-star network. According to reports, since the establishment of the South Korean Strategic Command in October 2024, South Korea has significantly accelerated the construction of the "South Korea Three-axis System" and has led the ballistic missile defense course drill for the first time in the "Freedom Shield" exercise.

  The South Korean Ministry of Defense also announced that it plans to build 90 artificial intelligence combat teams by 2028 and build 16 training grounds equipped with artificial intelligence simulation equipment by 2032. The generative artificial intelligence system independently developed by South Korea was unveiled in a joint exercise of the three armies for the first time, focusing on assisting decision-making and intelligence analysis. South Korea's unmanned combat forces have also organized training activities recently, and the 25th Infantry Division has carried out joint training on the with/unmanned combat platform.

  South Korea is also constantly making efforts in the arms sales field. In addition to signing a record arms sales contract with Poland, South Korea also discussed exports of K-9 self-propelled artillery with Vietnam, promoted the export of FA-50 fighter jets to the Philippines, and transferred retired ships.

  Frequent accidents arouse doubts

  Foreign media analyzed that in the context of political turmoil and lack of military and political leadership, the South Korean military frequently demonstrated its force, intending to show strength to maintain stability externally and unite the hearts of the people at home. However, many emergencies in the South Korean army have caused widespread doubts from all walks of life.

  During the first large-scale military exercise of the South Korean Navy Mobile Fleet Command, a destroyer suffered a serious failure, resulting in the entire fleet exercise plan being adjusted. The two flight accidents in March have put the South Korean army in a whirlpool of public opinion. During the preparations for the "Freedom Shield" exercise, two F-16 fighters of the South Korean Air Force accidentally bombed residential areas, causing serious casualties and damage to residents' buildings. The incident caused the entire exercise to suspend live-fire shooting. 11 days later, a South Korean Air Force Heron drone collided with a parked KUH-1 helicopter when landing at a northern airport in Seoul, causing a fire.

  Some military experts pointed out that the frequent occurrence of weapons and equipment accidents in the South Korean military exposed loopholes in the country's military modernization process, involving technology, maintenance and management levels, affecting the confidence of the people and officers and soldiers. Some media said that 27 of the 34 major accidents in the history of the South Korean military occurred during the joint operations of the United States and South Korea. The South Korean army did not perform outstandingly in this joint anti-submarine exercise. In addition, in recent wildfire rescue, the South Korean army participating in the rescue was criticized by local media as unprofessional and inefficient. Negative news is also frequent in South Korea's military industry. The KF-21 stealth fighter project is progressing slowly, and the K-9 self-propelled artillery has encountered technical complaints in the overseas market; Zhang Baogao-class submarines have frequent failures, which has caused dissatisfaction among soldiers.

  In addition, some foreign media pointed out that South Korea, which has always been "martial" with the United States, has recently been stabbed by the "leader's boss". The U.S. Department of Energy announced that it would include South Korea on the list of "sensitive countries" and strictly regulate South Korea and the United States in cooperation in nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and other fields starting from April 15. Some South Korean military personnel are worried that this move will have an adverse impact on military cooperation between the two sides.

[Editor in charge: Gao Qiang]