South Korea, U.S. begin annual military drills

PanARMENIAN.Net - South Korea and the United States began annual military drills Monday, August 19 that North Korea usually says are a rehearsal for invasion, AP reported.

This year's Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills occur signs indicate a tentative easing of tension on the Korean Peninsula with the two Koreas working toward reopening a shuttered jointly run factory park. Pyongyang agreed Sunday to talks on reuniting families separated by war.

North Korean state media have not made major statements on the exercises thus far. North Korea published near-day warlike rhetoric and threatened nuclear war during earlier annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises this year.

The Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills set to continue until Aug. 30 are computer-simulated war games that involve 30,000 American and 50,000 South Korean troops, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry and the U.S. military command in Seoul.

The allies have said the drills are defensive in nature and they have no intentions of attacking North Korea.

Despite North Korea's recent conciliatory gesture, some analysts in South Korea are wary of the North's intentions as they say Pyongyang often follows provocations and threats with a charm offensive meant to win aid.