South Korea, US kick off join military drill amid Pyongyang’s criticism
About 19,000 South Korean military personnel will participate in the drills from Monday to Thursday.
South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises on Monday, seeking to boost their combined defense capabilities against nuclear-armed North Korea, which accused the allies of practicing to invade it.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which will last until Aug. 29, come as North Korea races to advance its nuclear and missile programs and seeks to launch reconnaissance satellites, while boosting its military cooperation with Russia.
The drills will include both computer-simulated war games and more than 40 types of field exercises, including live-fire drills, according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS.
They will also focus on enhancing readiness against various North Korean threats, including missiles, GPS jamming and cyberattack, it added.
About 19,000 South Korean military personnel will participate in the drills, which will be held concurrently with civil defense and evacuation drills from Monday through Thursday that will include programs based on North Korean nuclear attack scenarios.
The US military has not confirmed the number of its troops taking part. There are about 28,500 U.S. military personnel in South Korea.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged a thorough readiness posture against North Korea, calling it “the most reckless and irrational country” in the world.
“Through this exercise, we must build up our readiness and capabilities to respond strongly to any North Korean provocations,” Yoon told a cabinet meeting, noting the North’s recent progress in its nuclear and missile programs, as well as its continued propaganda and incitement against South Korea, including sending balloons carrying trash over the border.
“As the United States and South Korea have safeguarded peace on the Korean Peninsula through an ironclad joint defense posture and a strong deterrent force against North Korea, this exercise will allow us to examine our defense posture in various ways and demonstrate the strength of our alliance,” he added.
