Seoul, South Korea (AP)-South Korea and the United States started their annual mass joint military exercises on Monday to face threats by nuclear-host North Korea, which warned that the practice would deepen regional tension and would have vowed to respond to “any provocative” against its region.
11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield, is held annually in two large-scale exercises South KoreaAfter another set in MarchComputer-simulated command post operations and field training will include 21,000 soldiers including 18,000 South Koreans.
The drills, described as the friendly nations, can trigger a response from North Korea, which has long been depicted as a rehearsal of the invasion of the Allies and often used them as an excuse for military performances and arms tests aim to pursue their nuclear program.
In a statement last week, North Korean Defense Minister No Quang Chola said that the drill showed the “military conflict” with the answer to the friendly nations and announced that its army would be ready to combat “any provocative beyond the boundary line”.
Upony Freedom Shield comes in a significant moment for the new Liberal President of South Korea Lee Ja Mayung, Who is preparing for one 25 August summit with US President Donald Trump In Washington. Trump has expressed concern in Seoul that he may carry forward the decades -old alliance by demanding high payment for the presence of an American contingent in South Korea and possibly reduce it as Washington focuses his attention to China.
Tension on the Korean peninsula is high as North Korea has separated Lee’s call to resume diplomacy with its war-divine rival, in recent years North Korean leader Kim Jong United Nations has intensified its weapon program and Dark alignment with Moscow After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Seoul’s previous orthodox government responded to North Korean threats by expanding military exercises with the United States and demanding American assurance for nuclear preventive, attracted anger from Kim, who renounced long -term reconciliation targets last year and reopening the north constitution to label a permanent enemy.
In his latest message to Pyongyang on Friday, who took over in June, said that he will do it Want to restore 2018-Inter-Korean military agreement The border was designed to reduce tension and called North Korea to respond to the efforts of the South to reconstruct the rebuilding and talk of confidence.
The 2018 military agreement, the former South Korean Liberal President Moon Jae-in and reached during a brief period of diplomacy, which was built on the border and a buffer zone on the border to prevent clashes.
But South Korea suspended the deal in 2024, which cited tension at the launch of North Korea. Balloons filled with garbage towards the south, And the frontline moved to resume military activities and campaigns. North Korea had already declared that it would no longer follow the agreement.
Asked whether the government’s steps to restore the agreement will affect the practice of the Allies, the South Ministry of Defense said on Monday that Korea’s disputed maritime border does not have an immediate plan to suspend live-fire training.
While the Allies have originally planned 44 field training programs of the overseas Freedom Shield, American military officials denied speculation that scale-back-back drills were to make place for diplomacy with the north, some training areas citing heat concerns and damage to floods.
Dating back in his first term, Trump has regularly called South Korea to pay more for 28,500 American soldiers posted on its soil. Public comments by senior officials of the Trump administration, including the underscore of the defense albrides Kolby, suggested a push for the reorganization of the alliance, which some experts say that may potentially affect the size and role of American forces in South Korea.
Under this approach, South Korea would play more role in combating North Korean threats, while US forces focused more on China, possibly left Seoul to face less profit, but increased cost and risk, saying, experts say.
In a recent meeting with reporters, General Zewear Brunson, Commander of the US Forces Korea, emphasized the need to “modern” the coalition to address the developed security environment including North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, asked Russia for its intensive alignment, and they asked Chinese threats to “independent and open Indo-Restrictions”.
Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press