| S. Korea, US and Japan begin drill; N. Korea angry |
SEOUL South Korea, Japan and the United States on Thursday began a joint naval exercise involving destroyers, supply ships and helicopters in a move denounced by North Korea as a “reckless provocation”.
Seoul’s defence ministry said the two-day drill would practise humanitarian operations such as search and rescue missions, and maritime interceptions. It said no live-fire exercises were planned.
The exercise comes at a time of rising tensions with the North following its failed rocket launch in April — seen by the US and its allies as an attempted ballistic missile test.
Pyongyang said Thursday the three-nation exercise threatens to bring a “new cloud of war” to Northeast Asia.
“The North’s people and military are intensely watching the trilateral military drill,” said ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, urging the three allies to stop “reckless provocation”. A South Korean defence ministry spoke-sman declined to say how many personnel were inv-olved in the exercise in international waters south of South Korea’s Jeju island, but said such drills had been held since 2008.
The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington will join the exercise on Friday before taking part in a separate drill with South Korea in the Yellow Sea from Saturday to Monday.
On land, South Korean and US forces are to hold their biggest joint live-fire exercise on Friday. The aim is to showcase their “watertight defence posture and war-fighting capabilities”, Seoul’s defence ministry said earlier in the week.
Agence France-Presse
|
 |
|
|
| NEWS UPDATES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
