South Korean and US troops conducted a joint combat exercise involving heavy weapons near the border with North Korea. According to the South Korean Army, the drills lasted a week, starting on December 29 and ending on Thursday.
The drills by the South Korean Army’s motorised rifle brigade and the US Army’s Stryker armoured brigade were designed to test and improve combat readiness by simulating enemy aggression, according to South Korea’s Thursday statement.
The two countries stepped up the scale and intensity of the joint drills dramatically last year amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. This came after North Korea tested long-range ballistic missiles and tactical weapons designed to hit targets in the South and the Pacific Ocean.
On Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticised Washington for deploying large weapons and vowed to increase the North’s nuclear arsenal and enhance its offensive capabilities to “pacify the South.”
The US has also deployed additional military assets near the Korean Peninsula, including a nuclear missile submarine, aircraft carriers and large bombers.
Pyongyang called the joint exercises “reckless war manoeuvres” and mocked South Korea for supporting Washington’s ambitions “when it has no chance of winning or survival.”
With the instinct of confrontation deep in their bones, the puppets again marked the new year by making the aggressive choice that stokes war. 2024 is the year of the highest risk of conflict.
More than 110 large combat units, including South Korean Army tanks, anti-aircraft artillery and combat earthmovers supported by US military assault vehicles and armoured combat vehicles were involved in the joint exercise, the Army reported.
The South Korean Navy conducted live-fire drills and anti-submarine manoeuvres in waters in the east, west and south on Wednesday involving destroyers, frigates and corvettes, the Navy reported.
