According to foreign media such as Reuters and Bloomberg, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps stated on August 24 that the United States had canceled the 'Dual Dragons' amphibious military exercise scheduled to take place with South Korea in September, citing limitations in troop deployment due to the situation in Iran.
A spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps said that the United States Marine Corps officially informed South Korea in June that due to the situation in the Middle East, the number of troops involved in the ‘Double Dragons’ exercise was limited.
The spokesman stated that the “Shuanglong” exercise was not indefinitely canceled, and the United States and South Korea are still in close consultation regarding the resumption of the exercise. However, he did not specify what measures would be taken to prevent future cancellations of the exercise, or how to compensate for the lost training opportunities.
The US military stationed in South Korea did not respond to requests for comment.
Bloomberg reports that this is the first time there is clear evidence indicating that the U.S. wars against Iran have led to a significant reduction in military training scheduled to take place in the Asia-Pacific region.
Earlier this month, the military of South Korea and the United States conducted a joint military exercise codened “Keyide Freedom Shield”. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the exercise sent a “hostile signal” to North Korea, and he has requested a significant reduction in the scale of the exercise. He also criticized South Korea for not cooperating with the United States’ policies regarding Iran.
Subsequently, the "Bìzhī Freedom Shield" joint military exercise originally scheduled to be held from August 17th to 27th was shortened by six days and ended on the 21st, with the schedule reduced in half.
According to a statement issued on the 19th by the South Korean Joint Staff Headquarters, both South Korea and the United States have decided to adjust some aspects of the exercise, including its timing and scale, at the request of the US side.
