The U.S. and South Korean militaries announced on Monday that they will hold their annual large-scale joint exercises from Aug. 19 to Aug. 29, aimed at strengthening the South’s defenses against North Korean attacks.
In conjunction with the series of 48 military drills, the South Korean government will hold its first civil defense drill for the potential use of North Korean nuclear weapons.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries conducted a tabletop exercise from July 30 to Aug. 1 to review responses to a North Korean nuclear attack on the South.
The military portion of the upcoming exercises will focus on responding to a North Korean attack that uses weapons of mass destruction, but will not include training based on a nuclear attack scenario, the militaries said.
The exercises will be based on such scenarios as missile attacks by North Korea, disruption of the Global Positioning System, cyberattacks and other offensive measures, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. The country’s army, navy and air force will all mobilize troops to demonstrate their ability to operate together with the U.S. military, in a bid to deter Pyongyang.
