S. Korea, U.S. begin joint air drill ahead of annual defense exercise: official

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States began a joint air
force exercise Tuesday as part of their preparations for a high-profile annual
defense drill from next week, an official said.
The allies plan to hold the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercise from March 9-20
to improve their coordination in case North Korea provokes war on the divided
peninsula.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed here to back up South Korea's 655,000
soldiers, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce rather than a
peace treaty.
The Joint Combined Exchange Training, set to end on March 30, will focus on the
abilities of the allies to quickly deploy air forces to supply cargo to battle
zones, South Korean Lt. Col. Kang Sung-goo said.
"The air forces will train in dropping supplies to intended areas, including at
night time," Kang said, adding the training is also aimed at supporting the Key
Resolve and Foal Eagle drill.
The air training has taken place almost annually since 1999, according to the
South Korean Ministry of National Defense. The Key Resolve and Foal Eagle
exercise tests the U.S. capabilities to deploy tens of thousands of troops and an
aircraft carrier should North Korea invade.
The drill is the target of severe criticism from North Korea, which operates 1.2
million troops and demanded at this week's military talks with the U.S.-led U.N.
Command that it be abandoned.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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