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S.Korea, US to conduct joint military exercise

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-18 15:30

SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States will conduct a joint military exercise in March, the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command(CFC) said Wednesday.

According to the CFC, the US military will mobilize a total of 26,000 troops during the March 9-20 exercise to test its ability to quickly deploy forces in case of invasion to South Korea.

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Among the 26,000 US troops, 12,000 will come from the US forces stationed in South Korea while the rest 14,000 will be deployed from abroad, the CFC said.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said that the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, stationed in Yokohama, Japan, will take part in the exercise.

The CFC didn't mention how many South Korean troops will participate in the drill.

It stressed at a news release that the exercise is "defense-oriented, focusing on military readiness posture."

The US military side has notified Pyongyang of the exercise but has yet to receive a response, the CFC said.

About 28,500 US troops are currently stationed in South Korea.