South Korea, US Military Chiefs Talk Possible North's Provocations in April

The South Korean military chief discussed on Thursday with his US counterpart possible provocations by Pyongyang in connection with joint frills between Seoul and Washington.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford and his South Korean counterpart Gen. Sun Jin-lee discussed on Thursday the likelihood of North Korea engaging in vexing actions that coincide with a US and South Korea's training exercise and Pyongyang’s political events in April, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.

"The chairmen recognized the possibility that North Korea could conduct provocative actions during the Key Resolve, Foal Eagle exercise, or in connection with North Korean major political events in April," the statement said on Thursday.

On April 15, North Korea celebrates the birthday of Kim Il-sung, founder of the Democratic Republic of Korea. The national holiday is known as the Day of the Sun.

The Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 2017 exercise seeks to train US and South Korean forces to wage war against North Korea. The US Navy aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and Marine Corps F-35 combat jets will participate in the exercise.

Dunford noted that the US-South Korea alliance is ironclad regardless of the political situation in the country.