The U.S. and South Korea on Monday began their largest joint military exercise in about five years with an eye on North Korea for nuclear disarmament.
What Happened: The drill, which is known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, will run for two weeks and is expected to involve thousands of military personnel from allies, Bloomberg reported.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the drills would involve real-life scenarios, including protecting the country’s areas such as sea ports, airports, nuclear power plants and semiconductor factories.
“Wars today are totally different from those in the past,” Yoon said in a cabinet meeting.
This came after Yoon pledged to restore large-scale joint drills with the U.S. to bolster security against its neighbor North Korea. The South Korean president’s office said last month the forces from the two allies would return to practicing war scenarios in person on land, at sea and in the air.
Why Does It Matter: The drill is expected to see retaliation from Kim Jong-un’s regime, which has blamed the joint military exercises for the unrest in the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has long opposed the joint exercises on concerns that they serve as rehearsals for an invasion. Meanwhile, the country itself has fired 20 rounds of missile tests in 2022 alone.
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