Thank you for joining Arirang news. I’m Kim Bo-kyoung.
The allies’ key annual military training kicked off today, seeking to strengthen their defense posture against North Korea’s potential nuclear attacks.
Our Correspondent Bae Eun-ji starts our coverage.
A major combined military exercise between Seoul and Washington officially kicked off on Monday.
The 11-day ‘ Ulchi Freedom Shield’ exercise that is set to take place in South Korea until next Thursday, includes computer-based simulation and combined field training exercises, focusing on bolstering the allies’ defense posture against threats from Pyongyang.
It also includes civil defense drills involving government agencies, with exercises that simulate a nuclear attack from North Korea for the first time this year.
“We will conduct training aimed at responding to North Korean nuclear threats with regional units taking part in government drills.”
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also said this year’s exercise will involve some 19-thousand South Korean troops, and that it plans to carry out more combined field training.
There will be a total of 48 outdoor drills, which is 10 more than last year including field maneuvers and live fire exercises.
The military also said the exercise will further strengthen the allies’ capability and readiness to defend against North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, by utilizing a variety of assets across all domains, including space.
“(With regards to your third question,) We do incorporate space type elements into the exercise, such as GPS jamming and cyber attacks.”
Meanwhile, military officials from Seoul and Washington are watching closely for a potential provocation from North Korea, as Pyongyang has been strongly criticizing the large-scale military exercises, calling them a “rehearsal” for an invasion.
Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.
source : https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=274859
