EU and South Korea will work in the planning of new periodic military exercises

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (03/ENE/2012.) - South Korea and the United States signed an operations plan to cope with possible provocations by North Korea to include new regular joint military exercises, announced today the South Korean Defense Ministry .

The ministry announced the plan in a scenario marked by the transfer of power in North Korea Kim Jong-il, who died on December 17, his son Kim Jong-un, which experts say could make new military threats against South Korea to strengthen its leadership.



South Korea and the United States made ​​new military joint exercises in addition to the important maneuvers "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" and "Foal Eagle" and other minor and both held annually, according to the Ministry of Defence.

"After completing our common contingency plan, we will hold regular joint exercises to establish a strong defense posture," the ministry said in a statement issued by the local agency Yonhap.

The signing of new bilateral pact, scheduled for this month, confirmed the decisions of the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in October by the two allies, who agreed to strengthen their commitment to maintaining a strong military preparedness.

Seoul and Washington have increased cooperation in defense from the attacks on South Korean ship Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, of which South Korea blames the North that left 50 dead in the ranks of South Korea.

The Mutual Defense Treaty signed by South Korea and the United States at the end of the Korean War in 1953 establishing a system for combined defense and commits Washington to defend its ally against possible threats from North Korea.

North Korea and South Korea are technically at war after the conflict that faced between 1950 and 1953 ended with an armistice but until today it has signed a final peace treaty.