(MENAFN) On Monday, South Korea and the United States began their first joint naval exercise near the Korean Peninsula in five years, a day after Pyongyang launched a ballistic missile.
Washington is Seoul's most important security ally, with approximately 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to protect it from the nuclear-armed North.
After years of failed diplomacy with North Korea under his predecessor, South Korea's hawkish President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to increase joint military exercises with the US.
"This exercise was prepared to demonstrate the strong will of the South Korea-US alliance to respond to North Korean provocations," the South's navy asserted in an announcement.
The four-day exercise on South Korea's east coast will include more than 20 vessels and a variety of aircraft conducting drills on anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare operations, tactical maneuvers, and other maritime operations, according to the statement.
"Through this exercise, we will further improve the ability to conduct joint operations between the naval forces of the two countries," Kwak Kwang-sub, a senior South Korean naval officer, claimed in the statement.
MENAFN27092022000045011137ID1104930205
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.