SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean and U.S. troops will begin their large annual joint military drills next week to enhance readiness against North Korean threats, the allies announced Thursday, days after North Korea threatened high-profile provocations against what it called escalating U.S.-led aggression.
However, the announcement was overshadowed by the news of two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropping eight bombs on a civilian area during a joint live-fire exercise with the U.S. military earlier Thursday.
Eight people were injured and South Korea’s military halted all live-fire drills across the country.
The allies have already begun joint field training for the March 10-20 command post exercise dubbed Freedom Shield exercise, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
