It said the drills are defensive in nature and are mostly tabletop exercises and simulations that won’t involve field training. Last year, the allies canceled their springtime drills after some of their troops were infected with the coronavirus. The government of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, which facilitated the early part of the US-North Korea talks, has been calling for the diplomacy’s restart and greater inter-Korean ties. A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff officer said that Seoul and Washington decided to “minimize” the number of troops participating in this month’s drills because of the pandemic. Image: South Korean army K-9 self-propelled howitzers take positions during the annual exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2020.

Source: Egypt Independent March 07, 2021 03:11 UTC