US, South Korea To Stage Exercise Stimulating Nuclear Crisis; North Korea Calls It A 'Grave Vortex Of Escalating Tension'

The U.S. and South Korea will stage a tabletop military exercise on Feb. 22 to stimulate a nuclear exercise in the case of a potential North Korean nuclear attack. 

South Korean officials have said the one-day tabletop exercise is designed "to develop a joint strategy and response to North Korea's potential use of nuclear weapons," reports The Korea Herald. 

During the exercise, South Korea and the U.S. will discuss in-depth ways to strengthen the viability of U.S. extended deterrence in response to escalating and direct threats from North Korea, per The Korea Herald. 

Seoul's defense ministry has said that the allies will also hold regular springtime Freedom Shield drills in March in South Korea.

Last November, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup agreed to include the nuclear use scenario in response to the recent shift in North Korea's nuclear strategy and advancing nuclear capabilities. 

Last week, Kim Jong Un threatened the U.S. and South Korea with "unprecedentedly constant, strong responses" for their military exercises. 

Also Read: Kim Jong Un's Sister Calls South Korea Govt 'Idiots' Over Sanctions — 'Wild Dog Gnawing On A Bone Given By The US'

Meanwhile, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that South Korea and the U.S. are planning more than 20 rounds of military drills, including their largest-ever field exercises. 

The ministry has called South Korea and the U.S. "the arch-criminals deliberately disrupting" regional peace and stability.

"The U.S. and South Korea have resorted to the worrying military demonstration from the outset of the year to encroach upon the security interests of the DPRK seriously," the ministry said in the statement. 

North Korea warned that the U.S. and South Korea's activities could plunge the Korean Peninsula into a "grave vortex of escalating tension," reports the AP.

Now Read: South Korea Revives 'Enemy' Tag For Kim Jong Un's North Korea After 6-Year Hiatus Amid Souring Ties

Photo: Expert Infantry on flickr