South Korean and US troops start large scale military exercice simulating attack by North Korea 31708151

Posted On
Defence & Security News - South Korea
 
South Korean and US troops start large scale military exercice simulating attack by North Korea.
Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops kicked off a large-scale military exercise Monday, August 17 2015, simulating an all-out attack by North Korea.
     
Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops kicked off a large-scale military exercise Monday, August 17 2015, simulating an all-out attack by North Korea. US (L) and South Korea Marines participate in a US-South Korea joint landing operation drill
     

The annual Ulchi Freedom exercise, which the defence ministry said would run through August 28, is largely computer-simulated, but still involves 50,000 Korean and 30,000 US soldiers.

The drill plays out a full-scale invasion scenario by nuclear-armed North Korea and both Seoul and Washington insist it remains purely defensive in nature.

Three North Korean wooden-box mines exploded in a South Korean military patrol zone inside the DMZ on Aug. 4, maiming two South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused Pyongyang of secretly burying the mines in a pre-planned military provocation.

Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, South Korea's military chief, also ordered operational commanders to "retaliate more powerfully and resolutely against any enemy provocation" during an emergency meeting held last week.

"The (South Korean) military is standing with a war-readiness position under which any types of North Korean provocations could be retaliated against strongly at the spot," a military official said.

North Korea is also likely to test-fire missiles during the drill period as part of protests against it. During the allies' Key Resolve drill in March, the North launched nine short-range and surface-to-air missiles into the East Sea.