US, South Korea agree to expand military exercises
Washington hosted a meeting between the defense ministers of the United States and South Korea, Lloyd Austin and Lee Seung-sub, during which they agreed to expand joint military exercises and resume high-level dialogue on expanded deterrence.
According to the report of the Korea JoongAng Daily, quoting a statement issued by the South Korean Defense Ministry, “they agreed to combine their country’s military exercises in the second half of 2022 with civilian emergency exercises in Ulchi and to further strengthen allied deterrence, which includes the missile defense system and strategic installations.” of the United States on the Korean Peninsula.
It is noteworthy that representatives of the Defense Ministry of South Korea and the United States discussed that the DPRK has completed “all necessary preparations for nuclear tests” at the Punggye nuclear test site in the mountainous North Hamgyong Province.
The defense ministers of the Republic of Korea and the United States agreed that security on the Korean Peninsula was “threatened” by North Korea’s “continued provocations” and stressed that “the alliance between South Korea and the United States will only be strengthened” because of these.
The parties agreed to resume negotiations within the framework of the Enhanced Deterrence Strategy and the High Level Advisory Group (EDSCG), which includes military and diplomats, to enhance joint deterrence, including diplomatic, media, military and economic capabilities.
In addition to the EDSCG and military exercises, measures to increase preparedness for the security threat posed by North Korea include a joint exercise between the United States, South Korea, Japan, Canada and Australia called the Pacific Dragon, which will begin Monday in Hawaii. It runs until August 14.
South Korea plans to send eight surface ships and two aircraft, including the 7,600-ton destroyer Aegis King Sejong the Great.
The Navy said Sunday that South Korea’s chief of naval operations, Admiral Lee Jong-ho, is expected to discuss further measures to bolster deterrence capabilities during his visit to the United States this week.
Lee is scheduled to visit the South Korean Navy, which is currently participating in the US-led Rim of Pacific exercises, and receive information about the exercises before delivering a speech at the Indo-Pacific Security Conference in Hawaii on Thursday.
The newspaper pointed out that Lee will visit Washington on Friday and meet with US Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro.
The DPRK’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that the US and South Korea’s domestic military exercises in the future may cause a “new Korean war.”
“No one can predict when the US and South Korean war-fighting exercises will escalate into a second Korean war,” the ministry said in a statement.
The State Department also noted that the joint military exercises of the United States and its allies pose a security threat and are one of the main factors that exacerbate the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The statement added that guarantees of peace in the region cannot be implemented as long as the US military unit is present.
