US, South Korea to launch large war games next week
The United States and South Korea will conduct joint military exercises, with the aim of improving their combined capabilities to "counter Pyongyang’s alleged threats," the allies say.
The annual exercise, dubbed “Ulchi Freedom Shield”, will take place on August 19-29.
The drill will include computer-simulated exercises designed to enhance readiness against alleged threats such as missiles, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, and concurrent field maneuvers and live-fire exercises.
The allies in particular aim to “further strengthen (their) capability and posture to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction,” South Korean and US military officials said in a joint news conference on Monday.
North Korea says the war games amount to a "rehearsal for invasion."
Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the drills as an “essential element for maintaining a strong defense posture to protect the Republic of Korea,” using South Korea’s formal name.
He noted that nearly 19,000 South Korean troops will take part in the exercises.
Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson of US Forces Korea, declined to comment on the number of the participating US troops.
He said, “This exercise will reflect realistic threats across all domains such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s missile threats and we will take in lessons learned from recent armed conflicts,” referring to the North using it official name.
“ROK and US units will execute combined field training exercises across all domains. Field maneuver and live fire exercises will strengthen the alliance’s interoperability while showcasing our combined capabilities and resolve,” he said.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has repeatedly said his government is building up its defensive military arsenal in preparation for war by the West that could “break out at any time” on the peninsula.
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