US begins joint military drills with South Korea amid North's anger
Frank Smith
Press TV, Seoul
The United States and South Korea have begun joint military drills on Monday. The exercises came amid tensions with North Korea, which has already criticized the maneuvers. The drills take place during a trip to the region of the new Pentagon Chief, Mark Espers, who will likely press South Korea on several alliance issues.
The US and South Korea began more than two weeks of joint military drills Monday, with South Korean officials adopting a low-key approach to the exercises.
Large scale US-South Korea joint military drills have been scaled-down and renamed in hopes of encouraging negotiations with North Korea on denuclearization.
North Korea stills views such drills as rehearsals for invasion, as well as opposing South Korea’s ongoing procurement of expensive hi-tech US weapons systems. Pyongyang has said the drills and weapons threaten renewed talks with the US on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The joint US South Korea drills will also test Seoul’s ability to take command and control in case of war. The US-South Korea alliance is undergoing adjustment.
New Pentagon Chief, Mark Esper, will visit Seoul for talks this week. Agenda items will likely include the US demand for South Korea to pay significantly more to host US troops, North Korean denuclearization, and a potential request for the South Korean navy to participate in US patrols of strategic Strait of Hormuz near the Persian Gulf.
Secretary Esper also said this week he favors stationing intermediate range missiles in Asia as soon as possible.
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