Senior South Korean military officials met Wednesday with troops from United Nations Command member states participating in this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in a goodwill event at the War Memorial of Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said
The event, attended by Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won and other senior JCS officials, was organized to thank the visiting troops for taking part in the annual combined exercise and to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and UNC member states, according to the JCS
Kwon said the event went beyond simply encouraging the visiting troops. He described it as an opportunity to see how the international solidarity demonstrated in support of South Korea during the Korean War continues today through combined exercises and military cooperation
He added that South Korea would continue working with UNC member states to safeguard peace and stability
The JCS has held goodwill events for UNC reinforcement personnel in conjunction with major combined exercises since 2025, including exercises conducted in both halves of the year
The military said it planned to continue close communication with the UNC and its member states, strengthen mutual understanding and trust, and further develop the longstanding ties built through their shared history
About 66 service members from 11 UNC member states — including Canada and Australia — are participating in the exercise. The troops were selected from a range of military specialties and capabilities
Ahead of the main exercise, the participants also visited Panmunjom and the War Memorial of Korea to learn more about the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the historical significance of the 1950-53 Korean War
Among this year’s participants are descendants of veterans who fought in the war, including Maj. Ekrem Karadeniz of the Netherlands, whose grandfather, along with two other relatives, served in the Korean War
Maj. Stephen Scriver of Canada also has a grandfather who served in the Korean War
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