SEOUL July 21 Kyodo toward the s...

SEOUL July 21 Kyodo

toward the south Korea and the United States plan to guard a joint military exercise Aug. 18-29 designed to improve bilateral cooperation in an pressing necessity according to South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.

The annual exercise, code-named ''Ulji Focus Lens'' approachs amid the dispute through North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The upcoming Command office Exercise is a simulated war game that will involve about 8000 southern Korean troops and about 6500 U multitudes including an unspecified number of U partys from other areas, according to southerly Korean news agency Yonhap.

toward the south Korea and the U.S. notified North Korea earlier Monday of their plan to guidance the joint exercise.

About 37000 U partys are stationed in South Korea in a less degree than a mutual defense treaty, a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War.

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