US, S Korea begin joint war game, irking N Korea

The United States and South Korea kick off their joint annual military exercise despite North Korean threats of using ‘merciless physical force’ in reaction to the drills.

Some 18,000 American soldiers and an undisclosed number of South Korean troops are taking part in the 10-day war game which include live-firing by US Marines, aerial attack drills and urban warfare training.

The exercises, code-named ‘Key Resolve and Foal Eagle,’ are aimed at practicing how to deploy US reinforcements in time of an emergency on the Korean peninsula, US military spokesman Kim Yong-kyu said.

Officials in Seoul and Washington insist the drills are purely defensive, but North Korea has denounced the maneuvers as a rehearsal for invasion, demanding their cancellation.

Pyongyang warned it would further enhance its nuclear capability and break off dialogue with the United States in response to the drills.

On Sunday, the North’s military also threatened to use “merciless physical force” in response to the warlike measure by the two allies, saying it was no longer bound by the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The war game comes amid efforts spearheaded by the US to force the North to rejoin international disarmament talks on halting its atomic weapons program in return for aid.

The North pulled out of the six-nation weapons talks last April following what it described as US provocative statements undermining its national security and not living to its commitments.

Pyongyang then reengaged in missile testing which prompted US-led efforts in the United Nations to impose tougher sanctions on the country.