Asia-Pacific

S.Korea, US start annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-16 10:21

SEOUl -- South Korea and the United States on Monday started a two-week joint military drill in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

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The annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, reportedly with an aim of maintaining security and the two countries' joint defense posture on the peninsula, will be carried out during the period from Monday to August 26, it said.

This year's UFG exercise is a computer-based simulation drill focused on crisis management against asymmetrical local provocations, the JCS said.

About 56,000 South Korean soldiers and some 30,000 US troops are taking part in the drill, including about 3,000 soldiers based in the United States, using computer networks, it added.

In addition, the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command will also carry out an anti-terrorism drill on major facilities during the period, in preparation for the two-day G-20 summit in Seoul due in November, according to local media.

The anti-terrorism drill will be participated by about 400,000 soldiers and officials from 4,000 offices of the central and regional government agencies, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency quoted military sources as saying.