South Korea warns North over 'repeated provocation'

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Seoul and Washington have begun annual war games, prompting the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, to warn North Korea against using them as an excuse to intensify the “vicious cycle” of tensions.

Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops are taking part in the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military drills, a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South.

The exercises are viewed by nuclear-armed Pyongyang as a provocative rehearsal for invasion, and it always meets them with threats of strong military counteraction. North Korea said recently it was considering firing a salvo of missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Moon described the exercises as “purely defensive in nature” and told Pyongyang it “must not use it as an excuse to launch provocations that will worsen the situation”.

“North Korea must understand its repeated provocations are what is forcing South Korea and the US to conduct the joint defensive drills, which in turn keeps the vicious cycle going,” the president told a cabinet meeting.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/21/south-korea-warns-north-seoul-us-war-games-begin