The
10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise kicked off Monday, and involves
tens of thousands of military personnel from the United States, South Korea participate - but also other allied countries such as Australia.
South Korea’s Ministry of Defense responded to media questions about Trump's post by saying the military exercises would
"proceed as previously notified and scheduled."
Going into this past weekend North Korea issued a severe warning over the upcoming joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, characterizing it as a rehearsal for an aggressive war and that it is is ready to respond.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry described Friday that
these planned drills look different, and will be more dangerous, compared to all prior ones of the past-half decade, in that they appear offensive in nature as the exercise will focus on modern warfare tactics.
"The US announced that the forthcoming exercises are quite different from the ones of the past five years and intended to master the ability of fighting a war on the basis of the new aspects of modern warfare," the North Korea condemnation reads.
"By doing so, it did not conceal its aim to complete preparations for the substantial military confrontation with the DPRK. This is tantamount to an admission that the exercises, which the US and the ROK describe as 'annual' and 'defensive' ones, are
a rehearsal for an aggressive war," the ministry added in a
statement published by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).