Maintaining the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces through appropriate military drills is important to ensuring the security of South Korea, a National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson said Friday.
John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, made the remarks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un lashed out at Seoul and Washington for holding joint military exercises, calling it “thug-like behavior.”
“We do believe that military readiness on the peninsula is critical,” Kirby said in a telephonic press briefing, when asked if the U.S. thinks the allies should continue their military drills.
“There’s lots of ways that you can get after that military readiness,” Kirby added. “Some of that is exercises. Some of its tabletop exercises, Some of it’s done virtually. it’s got to be a blend.”
The NSC official declined to get into any more details, but said the allies are always trying to boost their joint readiness.
“We are always looking to tailor the training and exercise regime to the conditions there on the peninsula and making sure that we are fully ready, and we are,” said Kirby.
Kim, addressing his reclusive nation on Wednesday to mark the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, said the South Korean government and its military will be “wiped out” should they make any “dangerous attempt.”
Seoul and Washington believe the North may soon conduct its seventh nuclear test with “all preparations” for a test already completed.
Pyongyang staged its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.
Source: Yonhap News Agency