South Korea’s military will postpone its largest annual field training exercise that has traditionally focused on countering North Korea, citing scheduling conflicts with major national events and the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced Thursday that the 2025 Hoguk Exercise, originally set for Oct. 20 to 24, will now be held from Nov. 17 to 21. 

Conducted every fall under JCS leadership, the drill is the country’s largest field exercise, involving all branches of the armed forces to bolster readiness against North Korean threats. U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) typically participate as well. 

The JCS