North Korea claims that the joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States is a prelude to nuclear war.
The annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea began on Monday, August 19. The purpose of this exercise is to enhance the joint readiness of the two countries to counter North Korea’s weapons and cyber threats.
According to American and South Korean military officials, this exercise will focus on all threats from North Korea, in addition to cyber threats.
This exercise, named Ulchi Freedom Shield, will continue until August 29 and is taking place amid rising tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang.
South Korean officials have reported that approximately 19,000 of their soldiers are participating in this exercise. However, American officials have remained silent about the number of their troops involved.
Some reports indicate that this exercise includes more than forty types of field drills in addition to computer-simulated war games. Rapid evacuation of citizens following warnings of an air attack is also among the planned sections of this exercise.