South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint military exercises on Monday despite strong oppositions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
According to the Chosun Daily, 26,000 U.S. troops and over 50, 000 South Korean troops will participate in the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercise all over South Korea.
The exercise, which was set to end on March 20, are aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the allies to quickly reinforce frontline forces when South Korea was invaded, the organizers said earlier.
Among the U.S. troops, 14,000 are from overseas bases of the U. S. military, the U.S. Force Korea said earlier.
The USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier and a total of seven U. S. Aegis destroyers will take part in the exercises, the Chosun Daily said.
The DPRK military has repeatedly demanded the U.S. military to cancel the exercises.
A spokesman for the DPRK's general staff said Monday his country will retaliate against any attempt to intercept its rocket by mobilizing "the most powerful military means," arguing such a move would "precisely mean a war," South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2009)