South Korea, US wrap up key military exercise against North Korean threats

Seoul, Aug 29 (IANS) South Korea and the United States wrapped up a major combined military exercise on Thursday after its 11-day run as the allies sought to bolster their joint defence readiness against evolving North Korean military threats.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which began on August 19, came amid persistent concerns over Pyongyang's weapons development and heightened inter-Korean tensions worsened by the North's recent trash balloon campaign, reports Yonhap news agency.

Based on an all-out war scenario, the main computer simulation-based command post exercise involved around 19,000 South Korean troops, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

South Korean troops took part in 48 concurrent field training events, such as amphibious landing and live-fire drills, up from 38 field events conducted last year.

In particular, this year's exercise, which included the government-led Ulchi civil defence drill, involved a scenario simulating a North Korean nuclear attack for the first time. The joint military exercise did not incorporate such a scenario.

The defence ministry also held its first-ever meeting with relevant agencies on responses to wartime disinformation amid growing concerns over the hybrid warfare threat.

"South Korea and the US assessed that their capability and posture to overwhelmingly respond to any North Korean threat were reinforced through the UFS exercise and combined field training events," the JCS said, vowing to maintain a firm combined defence posture through close cooperation.

North Korea, which has used the allies' joint drills as a pretext for provocations, has condemned the UFS exercise as the "most offensive and provocative war drills for aggression."

However, it did not conduct major provocations, such as ballistic missile launches, during this year's drills.

Instead, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test for suicide drones on Saturday, calling for the development and production of such weapons to enhance war preparedness.

On Tuesday, Kim also attended the test launch of a 240mm multiple rocket launcher with a new guidance system, which could put Seoul and its adjacent areas in the target range.

South Korea and the US describe their drills as defensive in nature.