ROK-U.S. Alliance Conducts Inaugural Communication Strategy (I2E2) TTX with Interagency and Coalition Partners

Seoul, South Korea — Recognizing the critical role of the information environment in modern conflict, the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS) and United States Forces Korea (USFK), United Nations Command (UNC), and the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), conducted the inaugural Communication Strategy (I2E2) combined tabletop exercise (TTX) on July 9, 2026, at ROK JCS Headquarters in the Yongsan District of Seoul.

Highlighting a robust whole-of-government and multinational approach, the TTX brought together representatives from UNC Member States alongside critical Republic of Korea (ROK) government agencies. Participating host-nation civilian and security entities included the Ministry of National Defense (MND), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), Korea Communications Commission (KCC), National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the National Police Agency (NPA), executing alongside their respective military operational units. This marked the first comprehensive, combined, multi-agency, and multinational exercise of its kind focused specifically on the synchronization of operations within the information environment.

The TTX evaluated a variety of complex threat scenarios across multiple domains, focusing on enhancing synchronization between military commands and civilian government agencies to develop actionable response measures during a national crisis. Senior leaders emphasized that a robust allied defense and security framework relies on seamless interagency and coalition coordination to support combined operations, achieve decision dominance, and effectively manage the information space.

Throughout the exercise, allied and partner forces concentrated on three primary lines of effort to ensure coordination and defense in the information environment:

• Countering Foreign Disinformation: Integrating joint and combined strategies to rapidly identify, counter, and mitigate foreign disinformation campaigns.
• Multi-Domain Synchronization: Coordinating and synchronizing allied responses to cyber, space, and electromagnetic spectrum threats across the Alliance.
• Strategic Communication Alignment: Aligning Communication Strategy (COMMSTRAT) and Public Affairs activities to promote operational transparency, counter adversary narratives, and build shared understanding among international partners and global audiences.

Participants successfully worked through bilateral frameworks designed to institutionalize this coordination for future combined operations, establishing a clear roadmap for steady-state collaboration.

"Ensuring the ROK-U.S. Alliance, alongside our multilateral partners, can maneuver decisively in the information environment is a strategic priority," said Maj Gen Anthony Henderson, Director for Plans, Policy, and Strategy (UCJ5), UNC/CFC/USFK. "This exercise successfully strengthens our collective defense posture and establishes actionable frameworks to institutionalize this coordination for future combined operations."

The successful execution of this inaugural I2E2 TTX reinforces the enduring strength of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and demonstrates a shared commitment to defending regional stability against evolving non-kinetic challenges.