SEOUL, South Korea – The United States and South Korea have begun joint military drills that North Korea is denouncing as a precursor to war.
The exercises come during a diplomatic push to restart long-stalled North Korean nuclear disarmament talks. But the 11-day defensive drills that began Tuesday make clear that Seoul and Washington still view Pyongyang as a military threat.
The United States says the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills involve more than 530,000 troops from South Korea, the United States and the seven countries that sent forces to help the allies in the 1950-53 Korean War.
North Korea's official media have for weeks denounced the drills as a provocation that proves Washington is responsible for tension on the Korean peninsula.
