S. Korea, U.S. to hold annual defense drill next month amid North Korea woes

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold a joint
annual defense exercise next month, their combined forces command said Wednesday,
as tension persists on the divided peninsula.
North Korea, which appears to be preparing to launch a long-range missile,
accuses the allies of preparing for invasion when they hold their Key Resolve and
Foal Eagle exercise.
The U.S.-controlled United Nations Command here has notified Pyongyang of the
exercise scheduled for March 9-20, but has yet to receive a response, the
Combined Forces Command said.
"The UNC notified the North Korean Armed Forces that this exercise is
defense-oriented, focusing on military readiness posture," it said in a release.
The U.S. will mobilize a total of 26,000 troops this year to test its ability to
quickly deploy forces in case of North Korean invasion, Kim Yong-kyu, a CFC
spokesperson, said.
About 28,500 troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean
War that ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.
"12,000 from the U.S. Forces Korea will take part while 14,000 will be deployed
from abroad," Kim told reporters, adding a large portion of the augmentation will
stay aboard a carrier.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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