Announcements by both the South Korean and North Korean militaries over the last couple of days have escalated tension in the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea announced earlier this week that it had scheduled military exercises (to be organized with US troops) codenamed 'Key Resolve' and 'Foal Eagle', reported VOA News.
'Key Resolve' would be a computer-simulated military drill that would last between March 2 and March 13 of this year. 10,000 South Korean and 8,600 US troops are scheduled to participate in this exercise.
'Foal Eagle' is a field training drill that would last between March 2 and April 24 of this year. In this exercise, nearly 300,000 South Korean and 3,700 US troops are scheduled to participate.
In an apparent attempt to match the conduct of the joint US and South Korean exercises, North Korea has this week conducted its own exercises, reported UK's Independent.
North Korea conducted its live fire exercises near its border with South Korea along the coast. Its military fired anti-ship rockets and artillery shells as a part of this exercise.
The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reported to have led the decision to organize this exercise.
North Korea had recently offered to stop its nuclear tests should the US and South Korea call off their military exercises. But Washington has apparently rejected this offer and the military exercises are scheduled to go ahead as planned at this time.
The escalation of tensions in the Korean peninsula is now virtually an annual affair and occurs during the time of such drills organized on the other side of the border. The Korean peninsula continues to be plagued by military tensions more than six decades after the Korean war. Even today 28,500 US troops continue to be stationed in South Korea to provide protection to it people.