US, S.Korea to hold big exercises with focus on N.Korea "aggression"

Seoul: The United States and South Korea will conduct more than 10 days of large-scale military exercises in March, including amphibious landings, officials from the two countries said on Friday.

The "Freedom Shield" drills will be held from March 13 to March 23 to strengthen the allies' combined defensive posture, the two militaries said in a statement released at a briefing in Seoul.

"Freedom Shield is designed to strengthen defence and response capabilities of the Alliance by focusing within the exercise scenario on things such as the changing security environment, DPRK aggression and lessons learned from recent wars and conflicts," the allies said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

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On Friday, the two militaries conducted a combined air drill with at least one American B-1B long-range bomber and South Korean F-15K and KF-16 fighter aircraft, South Korea's ministry of defence said in a statement.

The aim was to practice coordination as well as demonstrate American "extended deterrence" against North Korean threats, the ministry said.

Such exercises have in the past drawn sharp reactions from North Korea, including missile tests and nuclear threats.

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