South Korea and the US have kicked off joint war games in the waters east of the Korean Peninsula, amid simmering tensions with Pyongyang.
South Korea’s Navy says the three-day exercises involve nine vessels and two patrol aircraft from the two sides. They will focus on anti-submarine warfare and live-fire drills. A spokesman for the drills says the exercises will serve to effectively deter and respond to nuclear and missile threats from the Democratic Republic of Korea. The DPRK says its military moves are defensive and has condemned the joint war games, as rehearsals for invasion.