The U.S. Cancels U.S.-South Korea Amphibious Landing Joint Exercises

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Reference News Network reported on August 27 According to a Reuters report on August 24, the South Korean Marine Corps stated on the 24th that the United States canceled the joint amphibious landing exercise scheduled for next month with South Korea, citing limited U.S. military forces due to the war in Iran.

A spokesperson for the South Korean Marine Corps said at a press conference that the U.S. Marine Corps officially notified the South Korean Marine Corps in June that the brigade-level exercise, codenamed "Double Dragon," would face issues with troop supply shortages.

The spokesperson stated that both sides are still closely consulting on the resumption of the exercise. However, he did not specify what measures would be taken to prevent future cancellations of the exercise or to make up for the lost training opportunities.

The report noted that before the cancellation of this amphibious landing exercise, President Trump unexpectedly ordered a reduction in the scale of another annual joint military exercise. The routine U.S.-South Korea military exercise "Eulji Freedom Guardian," originally scheduled to take place from the 17th to the 27th, was concluded early on the 21st. Trump's reasoning was that the exercise was costly and that Seoul refused to participate in the war in Iran. (Translation/ Zhu Jie)

Classification
Region
East Asia & Pacific
Analytical Domain
Operational
Primary Category / Secondary Categories
Military Operations / Political-Military
SALUTE Report
Size
Not specified
Activity
The U.S. canceled a joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea due to limited troop availability caused by the Iran war.
Location
South Korea
Unit
U.S. Marine Corps, South Korean Marine Corps
Time
August 24, 2023
Equipment
-
Summary

The U.S. canceled a joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea, originally scheduled for next month, due to troop limitations stemming from the Iran war. This decision was communicated by the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2023. Ongoing discussions are taking place to explore the possibility of resuming the exercise in the future.

Key Facts
  • The U.S. canceled the joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea due to troop limitations.
  • The exercise was scheduled for next month and was named 'Double Dragon'.
  • The cancellation was officially communicated in June 2023.
  • President Trump ordered a reduction in another military exercise due to high costs and South Korea's refusal to participate in the Iran war.
  • Discussions are ongoing regarding the resumption of the canceled exercise.