S Korea, US kick off war games dubbed by North as ‘rehearsals for invasion’
South Korea and the United States have launched extensive war games, which are described by the allies as defensive, but are denounced by the North as a means of simulating "acts of aggression."
The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills kicked off on Monday and will last until August 29.
They feature more than 40 kinds of field exercises, including live-fire drills, besides involving practicing of computer-simulated warfare.
Around 19,000 North Korean forces participate in the maneuvers, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The United States has withheld information about the extent of the American military’s participation in the drills and whether Washington would deploy its strategic assets during the exercises.
Over the months running up to the war games, however, the US increased its deployment of long-range bombers, submarines, and aircraft carrier strike groups to the region to train with the South Korean and Japanese militaries.
The allies have said this year’s program was focused on enhancing their readiness against alleged threats posed against them by the North. They have claimed that Pyongyang could begin targeting them with missile strikes, cyberattacks, and GPS jamming operations.
Earlier in the day, however, North Korea’s foreign ministry issued a statement, calling the exercises “provocative war drills for aggression.”
It said it was crucial to “constantly maintain the balance of power for preventing a war by stockpiling the greatest deterrence.”
Pyongyang’s nuclear weapon program was, therefore, justified in that context, the ministry added.
Also on Monday, anti-war activists gathered in front of South Korea’s presidential office to condemn the joint exercises.
The campaigners, who hailed from the Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea coalition, said the exercises would only add to tensions on the Korean Peninsula and, by extension, in the Northeast Asia region.
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