SEOUL, March 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the United States on Monday kicked off joint military exercises, raising regional tensions amid concerns from neighboring countries.
The annual springtime war game, called Freedom Shield (FS), will continue for 11 days through March 19, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
During the exercise, 22 field training exercises involving actual troop maneuvers will be conducted.
The number of field training exercises was reduced to less than half compared to the FS exercise in March last year, reflecting the government's stance on dispersing such maneuvers throughout the year.
Seoul and Washington have insisted that the joint drill is defensive in nature, but the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion. ■
