US-South joint drills begin amid NKorea tensions

SEOUL: Seoul and Washington began annual war games on Monday, with South Korean President Moon Jae-In warning the nuclear-armed North not to use them as an excuse to perpetuate the “vicious cycle” of tensions.

Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops are taking part in the “Ulchi Freedom Guardian” joint military drills, a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South.