South Korea and the United States announced this Thursday that at the end of September they carried out a joint military exercise aimed at coordinating their conventional and nuclear capabilities in the face of North Korea's persistent threats. The revelation of these maneuvers comes after Pyongyang launched a dozen ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.
The maneuvers, dubbed "Iron Mace" (Maza de Hierro), took place between September 29 and October 2 at the headquarters of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Seoul, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, which cites military sources.
Throughout the drill, both countries analyzed different formulas to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and ballistic capabilities, as well as the joint planning to use South Korea's conventional means in support of United States strategic operations in the event of a possible crisis.
According to the same sources, the exercise was carried out behind closed doors and under the supervision of the Government of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, with the aim of not increasing tension with North Korea. This initiative, launched in August 2024, is part of the guidelines of the Nuclear Consultative Group, created after the summit held in April 2023 by the then presidents of South Korea and the United States, Yoon Suk Yeol and Joe Biden.
The drill was carried out despite the reduction of other joint trainings integrated into the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise (UFS, by its acronym in English) in August, a cut ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump.