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Facing escalating tensions with North Korea, the United States and South Korea began their biggest joint military exercises since 2018 on Monday. Pyongyang sees the exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion and could use them as a pretext for more missile tests.
New summer maneuvers. The United States and South Korea began their largest joint military exercises since 2018 on Monday in response to the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, according to the government of Seoul, the South Korean capital.
Washington is a close ally of Seoul on security matters. Some 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to protect it from its nuclear-armed neighbor.
The two countries have long held joint military exercises that they insist are defensive, while North Korea sees them as a rehearsal for an invasion.
The ‘Ulchi Freedom Shield’ maneuvers represent the resumption of large-scale training between US and South Korean forces after their interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and also represent a diplomatic setback with the Executive of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. the Korean peninsula.
“Refound the Alliance”
“The importance of this joint exercise is to re-establish the alliance between the ROK and the United States and consolidate the joint defense structure by trivializing … joint exercises and field training,” the Ministry of Defense said. South Korean defense.
No information has been made public about the planned exercises from August 22 to September 1, but they usually include drills with planes, warships, tanks and tens of thousands of soldiers.
At a meeting last week, the two allies agreed to “expand the scope and scale of joint military exercises and training” in response to the growing number of North Korean missile tests. The program will start with the “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercises (…) to reinforce the joint preparation” of the military operations of the two armies, they said in a joint statement.
Pretext for Pyongyang
Analysts say North Korea could use the exercises as a pretext for more missile tests. Earlier this month, Pyongyang threatened “deadly” retaliation against South Korea, which it blamed for a recent spike in Covid-19 on its soil.
The threat came less than a month after North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un said his country was “prepared to deploy” its nuclear deterrent force in the event of a military confrontation with the United States and South Korea.
Pyongyang has continued to test this year despite sanctions, including testing a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since 2017. U.S. and South Korean officials have also warned that the North Korean regime is preparing to conduct a seventh nuclear test. .
*With AFP; the original version can be found on the France 24 website in French
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