US and South Korea to Conduct Military Exercises on August 21-31

North Korea
North Korea (photo: Jalopnik)
By Mei ManuelAugust 18th, 2017

On Friday, the Pentagon has announced that both the United States and South Korea will be conducting a joint military exercise entitled Ulchi Freedom Guardian from August 21 to August 31.

According to the Pentagon, at least 17,500 US service members would be taking part in the exercise, as well as troops from other countries such as Australia, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The statement also said that, "UFG is computer simulated defensive exercise designed to enhance readiness, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean peninsula."

The exercise is not new according to Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Logan. In his statement with the press early this week, he said that the exercise is "a regularly scheduled, annual exercise and is the culmination of many months of planning."

The announcement of the joint military exercise comes after North Korea had threatened to fire a missile close to the waters of Guam. However, they have posponed the test and stressed they will wait for America's next actions.

North Korea has already released a statement regarding the announced exercise through the Central News Agency. They stressed that the exercises would "further drive the situation on the Korean Peninsula into a catastrophe."

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