South Korea and the U.S. will hold their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise from Aug. 17 to 27, with this year’s drills incorporating scenarios designed to counter evolving North Korean military threats, including those shaped by lessons from the war in Ukraine.

The exercise will address responses to GPS disruption, cyberattacks and drone attacks to adapt to the changes in modern warfare and North Korea’s emerging capabilities, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Director of Public Affairs Col. Ryan M. Donald said during a joint U.S.-ROK press briefing Monday. 

“DPRK soldiers have deployed and fought in [the Ukraine war], and they’ve