Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/SEOUL: Seoul’s defense ministry has said that South Korea and the United States have considered staging their first large-scale joint live-fire demonstration in six years in 2023 amid North Korea’s growing military threats Thursday.
Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu said that the drills have been floated as the United States and South Korea discussed preparations for the 70th anniversary of their alliance for next year. Jeon said in a regular briefing that marking that occasion, they have explored various ways to showcase their military’s presence and the alliance’s overwhelming deterrence capabilities against North Korea.
US-South Korea joint drills for first time since 2018
The United States has flown its F-22 Raptor stealth fighters for joint drills with South Korea for the first time since 2018, hours after North Korea criticised both countries and vowed more missile tests on Tuesday. The alliance staged its first exercises with a US aircraft carrier since 2018.
The exercises have halted under Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had prioritized engagement with the North, and which denounced them as a rehearsal for an invasion. Seoul and Washington authorities said that North Korea had tested many unprecedented missiles this year, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) designed to strike the US mainland. It has also completed preparations for its first nuclear test since 2017.
