Originally published by RT.com.
https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.08/thumbnail/610fa03785f540228a11e964.jpg
South Korea and the US will hold their joint annual summertime military exercise this month, despite the North saying that such a “hostile” move will damage inter-Korean talks, a report says
The computer-simulated command-post exercise will be held on August 16-26, with “a minimum level of troops” and no outdoor activities, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a government source.
The planned drill is set to involve an even smaller number of participants than a similar event last March, which was scaled down due to the pandemic, the source was quoted as saying.
The US and South Korea will also reportedly conduct military crisis-management training for staff over four days, expected to kick off on Tuesday.
The exercise is set to go ahead despite earlier warnings from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong, a senior state official, that the “hostile” US-South Korean drill will jeopardize inter-Korean talks. Pyongyang traditionally sees cooperation between its main rivals as a rehearsal for an invasion.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, called for a “wise and flexible” approach to the joint exercises this week, arguing that they must not be used to derail negotiations.
Pyongyang and Seoul restored direct communication via hotlines late last month after a nearly 14-month suspension. The North shut down the channel in 2020 in protest over propaganda leaflets sent across the border by South Korean activist groups.
At the same time, South Korean lawmakers, who attended a briefing by the country’s main spy agency this week, told reporters that Pyongyang wants international economic sanctions to be eased as a precondition for restarting denuclearization talks with the US.
They also said that the North had grown dissatisfied with the lack of concessions from Washington in response to the suspension of nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Pyongyang did not comment on the report.
In June, Kim Jong-un said the country needs to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the US.
This post was originally published by RT.com.
Author: RT
RT creates news with an edge for viewers who want to Question More. RT covers stories overlooked by the mainstream media, provides alternative perspectives on current affairs, and acquaints international audiences with a Russian viewpoint on major global events. With its first international news channel launched in 2005, RT is now a global, round-the-clock news network of eight TV channels, broadcasting news, current affairs, and documentaries, with digital platforms in six languages and sister news agency RUPTLY. Round-the-clock news channels in English, Arabic, Spanish, and documentary channel RT Doc, in English and Russian, broadcast from Moscow, while RT America airs from Washington, RT UK from London, and RT France from Paris. Today, RT is available in more than 100 countries spanning five continents.
