South Korea and the United States plan to hold joint military exercises in Washington next week. As the Ministry of Defense announced today in Seoul, the use of US nuclear weapons will be discussed as part of a defense strategy to counter threats from North Korea. The exercises, dubbed the Deterrence Strategy Committee Desk Exercise, are scheduled for Feb. 22 at the Pentagon.
Defense politicians from both sides will be involved, the ministry said. These are the first such exercises since the two countries agreed last year to hold them annually.
The reason for such military exercises is North Korea’s growing nuclear threat, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry. North Korea has launched a large number of missiles in the past year, including ICBMs, which could have hit anywhere in the United States. The country also resumed its first nuclear test since 2017.
Indignation in Pyongyang
North Korea reacted to the two countries’ announcement today, threatening “strong reactions” if South Korea and the US go ahead with planned military exercises. A statement from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, shared by state news agency KCNA, said it would consider additional military measures if the UN Security Council, under US influence, continued to exert pressure on Pyongyang.