The US and South Korean forces confirmed today that they still intend to conduct their yearly, significant joint exercises later this month.
In response to these war simulations, North Korea has promised to take “unprecedentedly” drastic action.
After already shooting a number of projectiles in recent weeks, the North is expected to reply to the drills by conducting missile tests because it sees them as practice for an invasion of the nation.
In order to improve their defense and reaction capabilities, the South Korean and US forces promised to perform the Freedom Shield exercise, a computer-simulated command-post training session, from March 13 to 23.”The Korea-US alliance will prepare for the FS training while keeping a solid preparedness against potential provocations by the North Korean military,” said Colonel Lee Sung Jun, a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Service.
The allies would react to any North Korean measures with “an overwhelming capability,” Col. Lee continued.
To enhance their ability to carry out operations, the allies will also perform a number of sizable joint field training drills during the exercises, known as Warrior Shield FTX, according to Colonel Isaac L Taylor, a spokesman for the US military.
Col. Taylor used the acronym for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea, to describe the ROK-US alliance’s capability and resolve to secure an unified defense posture to defend the ROK.The most ever for a single year, North Korea tested more than 70 missiles in 2022, and many more this year.
The North views the scheduled military exercises as “preparations for an aggressive war,” and its Foreign Ministry warned last month that the US and South Korea would face “unprecedentedly persistent and forceful counteractions” if they go forward with them this year.
Subsequently, top North Korean Foreign Ministry official Kwon Jong Gun declared that the US should abandon its plans to station strategic assets in South Korea and cease joint military exercises with its Asian partner as the only way to ease military tensions on the Korean peninsula.
If Washington continues its “hostile and provocative practices” against Pyongyang, according to Mr. Kwon, it may be viewed as “hostile behavior.”
