Washington, Seoul Begin Military Exercises With Zero Fanfare to Avoid Angering N Korea - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and South Korea began their annual military exercises without any official statement to avoid angering Pyongyang, US media reported.

The exercises were kept low-key after North Korea warned the drills could derail nuclear negotiations, Stars and Stripes said on Monday.

South Korean Defenсe Ministry Spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told reporters that this year’s exercise was concerned with the transfer of wartime operational control from the US military to South Korean forces.

Neither South Korea nor the United State issued any details as to the size of the exercises this year, how many troops are involved or how long they will last, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said.

However, staff training is expected to continue until probably Thursday and then the main exercises are expected to start on Sunday, August 11 and continue for another two weeks until August 25, Yonhap said.