South- US Military Drills to Test Inter-Korean Détente

Local Editor

South Korea kicked off its annual joint military exercises with the United States on Monday, despite vocal opposition from North Korea which could threaten a recent upswing in cross-border ties.

The start of this year's drills overlaps with the first reunion for more than three years of families divided by the Korea War - an event that has raised hopes of greater North-South cooperation.

Pyongyang had initially insisted that the joint exercises be postponed until after the reunion finishes on Tuesday, but Seoul refused and - in a rare concession - the North allowed the family gathering to go ahead as scheduled.

The "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle" drills - will last until April 18 and involve a combined total of 12,700 U.S. troops and many more from South Korea.

"Key Resolve" lasts just over a week and is a largely computer-simulated exercise, while the eight-week "Foal Eagle" drill involves air, ground and naval field training.
Seoul and Washington insist they are both defensive in nature, playing out various North Korean invasion scenarios.

Last year's drills fueled an unusually sharp and protracted surge in military tensions, with Pyongyang threatening a pre-emptive nuclear strike, and nuclear capable US stealth bombers making dummy runs over the Korean peninsula.
US military official have indicated -in an apparent effort to mollify the North -- that this year's drills will be slightly toned down, with no aircraft carrier and no strategic bombers.

Saturday's edition of the North's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun slammed the exercises as a "vicious attempt" to undo the goodwill generated by the family reunion.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team