South Korea, US resume drills, blame North for tensions
Frank Smith
Press TV, Seoul
South Korea and the US are holding more military exercises this week, with their troops staging a joint river-crossing drill on Wednesday.
The war games follow the joint drills Washington and Seoul conducted in August– the largest such exercises in 5 years. US officials claim the renewed military drills are defensive in nature.
North Korea views the recent drills as a rehearsal for the invasion of North Korea, and has responded by firing artillery and short range missiles into nearby waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
Activists have expressed concern over what they call cycles of dangerous exercises drills and military spending.
North Korea has this year conducted several ballistic missile tests, which it argues are efforts to deter the threat from the US and South Korea, as Seoul continues to upgrade its arsenal of submarines, ships, aircraft and missiles.
South Korea, Japan and the US, on the other hand, blame North Korea’s missile tests for the increased security risk on the Korean peninsula.
US officials have repeatedly claimed that they have reached out to North Korea for unconditional negotiations. But in the meantime, the US-South Korea alliance appears determined to increase military pressure against Pyongyang, with large-scale joint air force drills scheduled to begin on October 31st.
US-Israeli genocide: Will Gazans see ceasefire deal achieved?
Grief strikes Parachinar: 44 lives lost in terror attack
Yemen’s armed forces target Israeli airbase amid nationwide pro-Palestinian rallies
How US abuses its UN veto power to enable Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza
Iran refutes US, UK accusations over Ukraine war, West Asia conflicts
Pakistani town erupts in protest after terrorists kill scores of Shia Muslims
US senator threatens ICC with military action over Netanyahu sentence
Iran: ICC indictment of Netanyahu should have included 'genocide'
VIDEO | IAEA anti-Iran resolution
Iran urges pope to help end Israeli onslaught in Gaza
VIDEO | ICC's warrant against Netanyahu
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
