What did South Korea and the United States discuss during the 2026 Iron Mace exercise?

The allies discussed ways to strengthen Washington’s extended deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats. They also discussed joint planning for Seoul’s conventional capabilities to support U.S. strategic operations in a contingency.

How did the Iron Mace exercise fit alongside other South Korea-US military drills in 2026?

The exercise took place after Seoul and Washington scaled down their combined Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in August following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump. The allies nevertheless carried out other combined drills, including the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise with Japan last month, as planned.

S. Korea, US stage tabletop drills on integrating conventional, nuclear capabilities against N. Korean threats

Q: When and where did South Korea and the United States hold the Iron Mace exercise?

The allies conducted the tabletop exercise at the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Seoul from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.

Listen

Summary

South Korea and the United States conducted the Iron Mace tabletop exercise at the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Seoul from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 to deter North Korean threats. The allies discussed strengthening U.S. extended deterrence and planning for South Korean conventional capabilities to support U.S. strategic operations in a contingency. The exercise was held under Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines, even as the allies scaled down their August Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.

Key Facts

Iron Mace was launched in August 2024 and has been conducted behind closed doors under President Lee Jae Myung’s administration.
The Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines followed summit talks between former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023.
The allies also carried out the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise with Japan last month as planned.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 29, 2026 3:00 pm KST

South Korea and U.S. troops conduct a joint flight as part of the Freedom Flag exercise, Tuesday. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Air Force

South Korea and the United States conducted a key tabletop military exercise to integrate conventional and nuclear capabilities in a bid to deter North Korean threats, officials said Thursday.

The allies conducted the Iron Mace exercise at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters in Seoul from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, according to military officials.

During the drills, the allies were believed to have discussed ways to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and joint planning for Seoul's conventional capabilities to support U.S. strategic operations in a contingency.

Launched in August 2024, the Iron Mace exercise has been conducted behind closed doors under the liberal administration of President Lee Jae Myung in an apparent effort not to provoke North Korea.

The allies have staged the tabletop exercise under the Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines adopted following summit talks between former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023.

The drills came despite Seoul and Washington scaling down their combined Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in August following U.S. President Donald Trump's order.

Other combined drills, including the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise with Japan and the U.S. last month, have been carried out as planned.

Explore More