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While the two Koreas are making efforts to revive dialogue, South Korea and the U.S.
have started their joint training exercise, the Ulchi Freedom Guardian.
But unlike in the past, Pyongyang has so far refrained from strongly protesting the drills.
Our Kim Hyun-bin reports.
South Korea and the U.S. have kicked off on Monday their annual 12-day joint training
exercise.
The computer simulation aided joint Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill mobilizes roughly 50-thousand
Koreans and 30-thousand U.S. troops.
The main purpose of the exercise is to maintain security on the Korean peninsula, while upholding
joint defense capabilities between the two allies.
In this year's exercise, observers from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which
ensures the implementation of the Korean War Armistice agreement, along with seven countries
in the United Nations Command will monitor the drills.
Along with this military exercise, Seoul has launched its annual four-day local emergency
drill to measure the government's readiness for dealing with terrorist situations and
military threats from the North.
Unlike other years in which North Korea has lashed out against the joint exercises, North
Korea has so far kept mum on the issue, with experts saying it is due to recent progress
on inter-Korean relations.
Pyongyang had conventionally condemned the joint training drills claiming they are a
prelude to war, disregarding Seoul and Washington's argument that they are for defense purposes
only.
The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended with an armistice agreement.
Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News.