S. Korea to stage computer-simulated Taegeuk military drills next week

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Kim Myung-soo, right, speaks at the Capital Defense Command operation conference room in Seoul, Dec. 5. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

South Korea's military will stage its annual computer-simulated Taegeuk exercise next week, officials said Friday, as Seoul seeks to strengthen its readiness against North Korean military threats.

The two-day command post exercise will begin Monday and focus on enhancing capabilities in crisis management and transitioning into wartime, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

It said the exercise will proceed under scenarios that reflect North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and others exemplified in recent conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.

The JCS also vowed to establish a readiness posture to immediately "punish" any possible North Korean provocations through the drills, citing the North's recent move to effectively scrap a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce tensions along the border.

Last month, the North vowed to restore all military measures halted under the deal after Seoul partially suspended the agreement to resume aerial surveillance along the border in response to Pyongyang's launch of a military spy satellite on Nov. 21. (Yonhap)