South Korea and the US started their annual joint military drills on Sunday, after reducing the duration this year due to the current rapprochement with North Korea, the Defense Ministry announced here.
Around 11,500 US troops and some 300,000 South Korean soldiers are set to involve in the first of the two drills, Foal Eagle, which will continue for four weeks, one month less than its normal duration, reports said.
Seoul and Washington have stressed that the number of deployed troops and the intensity of the maneuvers are same to earlier years and announced that naval forces of both countries will carry out the amphibious landing exercises Sangyong (Double Dragon) on April 8.
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The two allies will also carry out the two-week Key Resolve maneuvers, an exercise including computer-based simulations from April 23 with the participation of 12,200 US soldiers.
The decision to reduce the acts of exercises seems to be on purpose at maintaining the current climate warming relations with North Korea, which perspectives the joint military exercises as a rehearsal for invading its territory, and among plans for two historic summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the Presidents of South Korea and the US on April 27 and in May respectively.
The start of the drills, which usually commence between the end of February and the beginning of March, was postponed due to the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, an event which started a detente with Pyongyang and the announcement of the two summits.
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