South Korea, US to hold annual tests on North's missiles, cyber threats By Reuters

Written by Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea and the United States will begin annual summer military exercises next week to strengthen their capabilities to counter North Korean weapons and threats, officials said on Monday.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which will begin on Aug. 19 to 29, comes as North Korea continues to develop its nuclear and missile programs and tries to launch re-test satellites.

The exercises will show “realistic threats” in all domains, including the North's missile threat but also GPS connectivity, cyberattacks and other lessons learned from recent events, the two countries' militaries said in a statement.

The alliance will “further strengthen its capability and posture to prevent and defend against weapons of mass destruction,” Colonel Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the briefing.

Lee said the South Korean military will also support the Ulchi civil defense drills conducted at the same time, which is in the event of a nuclear attack by the North.

About 19,000 South Korean soldiers, similar to last year, will participate in 48 rounds of joint field training, including field maneuvers, live fire and amphibious exercises, he said.

Colonel Ryan Donald, spokesman for US Forces Korea, said the annual exercises are among the largest in the Indo-Pacific region, and will be joined by member countries of the United Nations Command.

Pyongyang has long criticized the allies for stoking tensions with military drills, calling them nuclear war drills.

Seoul and Washington say the exercises are self-defense and a response to threats from the North.