SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean and U.S. militaries have commenced their spring drills on Monday with twice the number of troops participating compared to last year, officials disclosed, as the allies aim to enhance their ability to counter North Korea’s escalating nuclear and missile threats.
The Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled from March 4 to 14, are taking place against the backdrop of North Korea’s continued development of its nuclear capabilities through missile and other weapons tests. This year’s drills will also be the first following North Korea’s decision to nullify a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement in November.
Furthermore, the air forces of both countries have initiated their annual Ssangmae exercises, involving battalion-level units, for a five-day duration, as revealed by Seoul’s defense ministry on Monday.
The Freedom Shield exercises will see twice the number of troops from both South Korea and the United States participating compared to last year, engaging in 48 rounds of joint field training activities, including air assault and airstrikes, as stated by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Colonel Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the JCS, emphasized that the primary objective of the drills is to neutralize North Korea’s nuclear threats, particularly by effectively identifying and targeting cruise missiles that Pyongyang has indicated could potentially carry nuclear warheads. He also mentioned that a hypothetical nuclear attack scenario will be incorporated into upcoming summertime exercises.
According to reports from South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, American strategic assets like aircraft carriers and bombers might participate in the drills. U.S. Forces Korea confirmed that such assets are likely to be deployed based on past practices but refrained from providing further details due to security reasons.
The term “strategic” is commonly used in reference to nuclear forces.
North Korea has vehemently criticized the joint drills, referring to them as preparations for a nuclear conflict. On the other hand, Seoul and Washington assert that the exercises are purely defensive in nature and are conducted in response to North Korea’s provocative actions.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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