South Korea, U.S. Begin Joint Drills Amid Rising North Korea Tensions
SEOUL – South Korea and the United States have launched their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills this week, stepping up preparations against North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.
The 11-day exercises, which Seoul says are purely defensive, include upgraded response strategies. While the scale is similar to last year, around half of the 40 planned field training events have been pushed to September. South Korea’s military said the schedule shift reflects President Lee Jae Myung’s push to ease tensions with Pyongyang, though experts doubt North Korea will respond positively.
As expected, Pyongyang denounced the drills. During a visit to a naval destroyer on Monday, leader Kim Jong Un accused Seoul and Washington of showing a “hostile and confrontational” stance. He vowed to “rapidly expand” North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, claiming the latest drills included “nuclear elements.”
The military exercises come ahead of a planned summit in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Lee, where North Korea’s weapons program is expected to top the agenda.
“Through this move, North Korea is demonstrating its refusal to accept denuclearisation and its determination to strengthen its nuclear capabilities,” said Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
Independent reports suggest Pyongyang has produced enough fissile material for up to 90 nuclear warheads, though experts believe only about 50 are currently assembled. Meanwhile, North Korea is pressing ahead with its naval buildup, aiming to roll out a third 5,000-tonne Choe Hyon-class destroyer by October next year and testing new cruise and anti-air missiles for its fleet.
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