S. Korea, U.S. begin joint military drill despite N.K. warning

Yonhap News ^ | 03/08/2010 | Shin Hae-in and Sam Kim

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The United States and South Korea began their annual joint military exercise on Monday, dismissing a verbal warning by North Korea, which views the drill as a preparation for war.

The Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercise is to continue across South Korea through March 18, drawing about 18,000 U.S. troops from bases here and abroad and mobilizing more than 20,000 South Korean troops.

The U.S. says the drill is a routine exercise to improve its ability to defend South Korea, but North Korea insists it is a precursor to invasion.

On Sunday, North Korea said in a statement it will not rejoin the suspended multinational negotiations aimed at its denuclearization or hold further military dialogue with Seoul "as long as the joint drill lasts."

Despite the launch of the military drill in the South, the North imposed no restrictions on border traffic with South Korea as of Monday morning.

About 100 vehicles carrying some 240 South Koreans crossed the heavily fortified boundary with the North in the morning on their way to the border town of Kaesong, where the divided countries jointly run a factory park, the South Korean Unification Ministry said.

"There are no particular signs of disruption in the traffic," said a ministry official, declining to be identified.

About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea, which is technically still at war with the South as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

During the drill in previous years, Pyongyang often blocked passage to the joint industrial park in Kaesong, or cut off its military hotline with Seoul.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks sonofstrangelove.