简体中文
South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint military exercises on Monday, after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s supreme military command announced it would scrap the Korean War Armistice Agreement, in response to the drill, which is scheduled to run through March 21.
The "Key Resolve" military exercise will be held for almost two weeks starting Monday, bringing together 10,000 South Korean troops and 3,500 U.S. troops, according to the defense ministry here.
According to Yonhap News Agency, such practice is needed as Seoul prepares to regain its wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington at the end of 2015.
People protest against the "Key Resolve" joint military exercises launched by South Korea and the United States in Seoul, capital of South Korea, on March 11, 2013. (Xinhua/Park Jin-hee)
Tensions have escalated sharply on the Korean Peninsula as DPRK has vowed to nullify an armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War from March 11, and warned of more and stronger counter- measures if the United States and South Korea continued joint military drills.
DPRK also cut off an inter-Korean communication hotline with South Korea on Mondayfollowing its threat to do so last week, Yonh.
The unification ministry said the DPRK seems to have cut the emergency link set up to deal with any contingency along the demilitarized zone of Panmunjom, which separates the two Koreas, Yonhap News Agency reported.
South Korea and the United States began "Key Resolve" joint military exercises on Monday, which is scheduled to run through March 21, despite DPRK's warning of annulment of the armistice agreement that halted the Korean War (1950-53).
Tensions have been running high since DPRK conducted its third nuclear test on Feb. 12, and the United Nations agreed to impose tougher sanctions on the country for its renewed provocations.
