S. Korea, US to conduct annual military exercises March 11-25

By Park Sae-jin Posted : April 26, 2013, 09:35 Updated : April 26, 2013, 09:35
Amid escalated tension on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's third nuclear test, South Korea and the United States will hold their annual joint military execises from March 11-25, the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said on Feb. 21.

About 10,000 South Korean and 3,500 U.S. troops will participate in the two-week war game led by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) ahead of South Korea's regaining of its wartime operational control from the United States at the end of 2015.

A statement issued by the CFC said: "This is the first year that the 'Key Resolve' exercise is being led by the Republic of Korea JCS, not the Combined Forces Command." The Republic of Korea (ROK) is South Korea's official name.

"This will help improve the ROK military's operational command capabilities and establish a basis for the wartime operations control transition," the statement said.

Also participating in the exercises, a computer-based simulation, are troops from Denmark, Britain, Australia, Colombia and Canada, which are members of the U.N. Command (UNC) in South Korea, JCS officials said.

In addition, observers from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will view the exercises, they said.

The UNC's Military Armistice Commission said it informed North Korea of the exercises.
기사 이미지 확대 보기
닫기