South Korea to Launch Annual Hoguk Defense Exercise With US Drills

South Korea’s military will begin its annual Hoguk field exercise on Monday, combining five days of domestic multi-domain training with selected field drills involving US forces, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The exercise is intended to strengthen joint operational capabilities and maintain readiness across land, sea and air. The military said this year’s program will involve roughly the same number of personnel as the 2025 edition. It will also use opposing forces and simulated combat scenarios designed to reflect realistic threats more closely.

Computer-simulated command-post training and strategy discussions will run alongside the outdoor maneuvers. The Joint Chiefs said these elements are part of a broader effort to maintain a robust readiness posture. US Forces Korea personnel will participate in portions of the exercise to improve interoperability with South Korean troops.

Hoguk has been held since 1996 as a major training event for South Korea’s armed forces. Its focus is coordination among military branches and the ability to conduct operations across multiple domains. The exercise gives the services an opportunity to test how command structures, units and operational plans work together under simulated wartime conditions.

This year’s schedule also carries added significance because it will include two of seven South Korea-US field training exercises postponed during the allies’ Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in August. That summertime exercise had originally been scheduled to run from Aug. 17 through Aug. 27, but it ended nearly halfway through its planned period after US President Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in the drills. The move was described as an apparent conciliatory gesture toward North Korea.

The allies also reduced the number of field-training activities conducted during Ulchi Freedom Shield. The two exercises now set to take place during Hoguk will begin addressing that deferred schedule. South Korea’s military said the remaining five postponed field maneuvers are also due to be completed before the end of the year.

The Hoguk program therefore serves two related objectives: South Korea’s regular annual readiness training and the completion of bilateral exercises that were delayed in the summer. Military officials have emphasized that the combined activities are intended to preserve operational coordination even after the earlier adjustment to the alliance’s training calendar.

The five-day exercise is scheduled to conclude Friday.