The South Korean military is considering postponing its large-scale annual military exercise scheduled for mid-October.

According to military authorities on Wednesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) had planned to conduct the Hoguk exercise from October 15 for about a week across the Gyeonggi, Gangwon and North Chungcheong regions.

A military official said that internal discussions are reviewing a possible delay of the exercise, factoring in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, set for late October, as well as the appointments of corps-level generals, but a decision has not yet been made.

The Hoguk exercise, conducted annually since 1996, is a large-scale military exercise aimed at improving the joint operational capabilities of the South Korean Army, Navy and Air Force, often involving the United States Forces Korea.

During the joint U.S.-South Korea exercise ‘Ulchi Freedom Shield’ in August, about half of the scheduled outdoor maneuvers were conducted, with the remainder postponed due to concerns about North Korea’s response.