The joint drills of the United States and South Korea are aimed at keeping stability on the Korean peninsula, while their purpose is to practice coordination between the two countries' command centers, Robert Wood, US Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, said Tuesday.
GENEVA (Sputnik) — He stressed that the drills were transparent and defense-oriented.
Earlier in the day, a Chinese representative expressed concerns about the US and South Korean joint drills, saying that the maneuvers did not contribute to the resolution of the North Korean problem and only escalated tensions. He added that China was firmly opposed to such behavior.
Last week, the US and South Korean troops started their large-scale annual Foal Eagle exercises on the South Korean soil, aimed at practicing deterring the North Korean aggression. North Korea responded to the military maneuvers by firing four ballistic missiles Monday, three of which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.