US military holds 'nuclear weapon effects' training in South Korea for first time

Seoul, April 23 (IANS) The US Army has held a training session in South Korea aimed at enhancing capabilities to operate effectively in a nuclear environment for the first time, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said on Wednesday.

The two-day course, held at South Korea's Strategic Command in Seoul between April 15-16, was seen as aimed at bolstering the allies' joint deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats.

The training, led by the US Army Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency (USANCA) tailored for the South Korean military, involved 13 personnel from South Korea, including six Strategic Command staff members.

"This provision of Nuclear Weapon Effects Course - Korea highlights the vital role ROK forces play in advancing conventional-nuclear integration within the ROK-US Alliance," the USFK said in a release. ROK refers to the acronym of South Korea's formal name.

"The training content is also directly applicable to Alliance tabletop exercises and wargames focused on conventional-nuclear integration, and enhancing the combined joint force's strategic understanding," it said.

In August last year, the allies concluded their first-ever table-top exercise, "Iron Mace 24," on integrating nuclear and conventional capabilities, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea and the United States have been stepping up efforts to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear threats. In annual bilateral defence talks held in October last year, the allies agreed to incorporate "realistic" scenarios, including a North Korean nuclear attack, in their future combined military exercises.

Over 28,500 US military personnel are stationed in the South Korea and work closely with the South Korea military and United Nations Command member countries to deter and defend against the threat from the North Korea and maintain the Korean Armistice Agreement.

To deter DPRK provocations and attacks, the US-South Korea Alliance maintains a strong defensive military posture which includes annual combined exercises, robust military sales, consistent reaffirmations of United States’ commitment to the security of the South Korea through an enduring combined command structure, and close, consultative relations between US and South Korea senior leadership on security issues.

--IANS

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