South Korean and US Marine Corps reconnaissance troops conduct close-quarters combat drills, clearing corridors, stairwells and rooms together at an urban warfare training facility. [Republic of Korea Marine Corps]
South Korean and US Marine Corps reconnaissance troops conduct close-quarters combat drills, clearing corridors, stairwells and rooms together at an urban warfare training facility. [Republic of Korea Marine Corps]

The Marine Corps said the Ssangyong exercise — a large-scale combined amphibious drill with the United States scheduled for next month — has been canceled at Washington's request, and South Korea will conduct the training on its own.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, Marine Corps public affairs chief Han Seung-jeon said at a Sunday briefing that "the US Marine Corps formally notified us in June that, given the situation in the Middle East, its ability to operate military forces during the Ssangyong exercise period would be limited."

Ssangyong is a large-scale combined exercise held every two years, involving division-level units from both countries along with assault landing ship task forces. It is regarded as a highly offensive exercise with a strong counterattack character, and has drawn particularly sharp objections from North Korea.

The Marine Corps said it believes the US cancellation request is tied to the prolonged conflict involving Iran. US aircraft carriers previously deployed in the western Pacific have repositioned to the Middle East, creating real capability gaps in the region — constraints that have extended to US Marine Corps assets available during the Ssangyong exercise window.

However, the Marine Corps said combined operational readiness remains unaffected. South Korean Marines conducted combined exercises — known as KMEP — with the US 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps Logistics Command and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the first half of this year. They have also continued to participate in a range of overseas combined exercises including Cobra Gold, Kamandag, Khaan Quest, RIMPAC and Super Garuda Shield.

The Marine Corps said it has decided to hold this year's exercise independently while continuing close consultations with the United States over whether to resume Ssangyong.


rimsclub@heraldcorp.com