25 August, 2017
Chung also said he is unequivocally opposed to the withdrawal of US forces from the Korean peninsula.
South Korea and the United command of the United States on August 21 will begin a ten-day large-scale exercises Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG). Analysts say it would be only a matter of time for the North to achieve its long-stated goal of acquiring a nuclear missile that can strike anywhere in the United States.
US and South Korean troops kicked off their annual drills Monday that come after President Donald Trump and North Korea exchanged warlike rhetoric in the wake of the North's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month.
The exercises, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Guardian, are schedule to run through August 31 and involve 17,500 US troops and 50,000 South Korean military personnel.
"I am not considering that right now", Chung said, in response to a question from conservative lawmaker Chung Jin-suk on whether the military was looking into reducing or suspending the joint drills.
"It's to prepare if something big were to occur and we needed to protect ROK", said Michelle Thomas, a USA military spokeswoman, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
The annual drills are viewed by nuclear-armed Pyongyang as a highly provocative rehearsal for invasion, and it always meets them with threats of strong military counteraction.
North and South Korea are technically still at war after the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. The Pentagon fears that North Korea is developing the hydrogen bomb and can complete it through 6-18 months. Russian Federation has also asked for the drills to stop but the United States has not backed down.
Kang also said South Korea and the United States are closely coordinating over North Korea.
"We don't think the joint exercise will be conducive to easing the current tensions".
A confidential United Nations report, seen by Reuters on Monday, found North Korea evaded U.N. sanctions by "deliberately using indirect channels" to export banned commodities and had generated $270 million between October 2016 and May 2017.
Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) last month that appeared to bring much of the USA within range.
A commentary in Sunday's editon of North Korea's state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are "playing with fire" by holding the drills and aggravating the already-tense situation on the Korean peninsula.
Only weeks ago it said it was considering firing a salvo of missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.
There will be no field training during the current exercise, according to U.S. Forces Korea. About 17,500 US service members are participating in the exercise this month, down from 25,000 past year, according to the Pentagon.
Also in the maneuvers will take part in the military of Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the UK.
