Key S. Korea-US military drills begin amid OPCON transition push

South Korea and the United States kicked off their key summertime combined exercise Monday, with Seoul seeking to use the drills to accelerate efforts to regain wartime operational command from Washington. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise will run until Aug. 27, featuring combined and all-domain operations to boost the allies' readiness and capabilities by incorporating realistic threats reflecting the rapidly changing modern warfare. The UFS is a flagship combined exercise conducted by