US, South Korea for joint drills in March as tensions with North Korea escalate
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SEOUL (AP):
The US and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries’ combined defence capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea.
The Freedom Shield drills is set for March 9-19, according to the announcement.
North Korea has long described the allies ’ joint exercises as invasion rehearsals and used them as a pretext to dial up its own military demonstrations and weapons testing activity. The allies say the drills are defensive in nature.
The announcement came as North Korea is holding a major political conference where authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un is expected to outline his key domestic, foreign policy and military goals for the next five years. North Korean state media have not so far reported any direct comments by Kim on relations with Washington and Seoul at the ruling Workers’ Party congress, which began last week.
Based on recent public comments, experts say Kim could use the congress to further entrench his hard-line stance toward South Korea, reiterate calls for Washington to drop its demand for denuclearisation as a precondition for renewed talks, and announce steps to simultaneously strengthen and integrate his nuclear and conventional forces.
‘COMMAND POST’ DRILL
Freedom Shield is one of two “command post” exercises that the allies conduct each year; the other is Ulchi Freedom Shield, held in August. The drills are largely computer-simulated and designed to test the allies’ joint operational capabilities while incorporating evolving war scenarios and security challenges.
As usual, the March drill will be accompanied by a field training programme called Warrior Shield to enhance “training realism and combat readiness,” Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of US Forces Korea, told a news conference.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said about 18,000 South Korean troops will participate in Freedom Shield while the US military did not disclose how many American troops will be involved.