South Korea and United States launch joint military exercises despite North Korea warning 2702122

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Defense News - South Korea

 
 
Monday, February 27, 2012, 07:55 AM
 
South Korea and United States launch joint military exercises despite North Korea warning.
South Korea and United States forces launched their annual military exercise Monday, February 27, 2012, despite the latest warning by the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea that it is " fully ready to fight a war."
     
South Korea and U.S. forces launched their annual military exercise Monday, February 27, 2012, despite the latest warning by the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea that it is " fully ready to fight a war."
K1 main battle tank of the South Korean army during military exercises (Archive image)
     

The joint command post exercise "Key Resolve," slated for Feb. 27-March 9, has brought together 200,000 South Korean forces and 2, 100 U.S. troops for drills based on various scenarios of assumed threats to the defense of South Korea.

North Korea, which remains technically at war with South Korea after the 1950-53 civil conflict ended with a truce, has routinely denounced the drills by the allies as preparation for a northward invasion.

"The army and people of the North Korea are fully ready to fight a war with them," Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Monday. "The warmongers will meet destruction in the fire kindled by them if they go reckless misjudging the strong will of the Koreans to defend peace."

Meanwhile, the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said the drills are "routine and defense-oriented."

The allies will also hold field training exercise "Foal Eagle" between March 1-April 30, with South Korean personnel and 11,000 U. S. troops engaged in ground, air, naval and other operations.