South Korea and the United States wrapped up their joint military exercise Thursday, a day earlier than scheduled, officials here said, spawning speculation that the move might be intended to help soothe North Korea.
The allies' Combined Forces Command (CFC) in Seoul announced that it successfully completed its annual computer-assisted simulation drill, named Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG). US Chief of the CFC Curtis M. Scaparrotti said in a press release that this year's exercise strengthened the two countries combined defense. The U.S. general also leads the 28,500 American troops stationed on the peninsula, South Korea's News (Yonhap) reported.
South Korea and the U.S. began UFG on Aug. 18, snubbing Pyongyang's fierce protest laden with war threats. Although the North did not carry out its threat of a "pre-emptive attack," it continued to condemn the regular defense drill, shunning any formal dialogue with the South.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.