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US' vaccine offering raises hopes of joint military drills resuming in earnest
A U.S. F-16 fighter jet flies during a wintertime combined exercise by the United States and South Korea, codenamed Vigilant Ace, in this December 2017 file photo. Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
U.S. President Joe Biden's promise to provide COVID-19 vaccines to fully inoculate all 550,000 South Korean troops is raising hopes that full-fledged combined military exercises between Washington and Seoul could resume in the latter half of this year at the earliest.
President Biden said during a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Friday (local time), “We'll provide full vaccinations for all 550,000 of those Korean forces engaging with American forces on a regular basis, both for their sake, as well as the sake of the American forces.”
According to the Ministry of National Defense here, the number of South Korean troops stood at about 555,000 as of the end of last year.
The United States and South Korea usually carry out major combined exercises twice a year, in spring and summer, along with smaller-scale drills throughout the year.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 early last year, such exercises were scaled down, involving only a reduced number of troops and without outdoor drills amid concerns over infections.
The vaccination of the entire South Korean armed forces against COVID-19 could increase the possibility of a combined military exercises, which are expected to take place in August, to be carried out without reduced troop numbers and also include outdoor drills.
The inoculation rate of U.S. troops stationed in Korea has already exceeded 70 percent since vaccinations began in December last year.
Biden's mention that the offering of vaccines would also be for the “sake of the American forces” was interpreted as having the combined exercises in mind.
In response to Biden's announcement, President Moon said, “The measure is meaningful in that the special history of the U.S.-South Korean alliance has been expanded to healthcare.”
Regarding the issue, an official from the defense ministry said, “As soon as the type of vaccines and timing of delivery are finalized, we will reflect them in our inoculation plans in cooperation with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.”