South Korea and the US will hold joint anti-submarine exercises in another show of force against North Korea, officials said yesterday, as Pyongyang renewed threats against the drills.
The exercises will be the second in a series of joint maneuvers the allies have planned to conduct in response to the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March that they blame on the North. The two sides staged large-scale joint naval drills in July, followed by South Korea’s own naval drills last month.
The marine patrol exercises, set to run from tomorrow through Thursday off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast, will involve about 17,000 troops, seven ships and two submarines, as well as aircraft, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US military in Seoul said.
The exercises are “designed to send a clear message of deterrence to North Korea, while improving overall alliance anti-submarine warfare capabilities,” the US military in Seoul said in a statement.
The announcement of the planned drills comes as China reportedly holds live-ammunition exercises in the Yellow Sea.
An international team of investigators concluded in May that a North Korean torpedo sank the Cheonan in late March near the Koreas’ western maritime border, killing 46 South Korean sailors.
North Korea, which denies any involvement in the sinking, has threatened to retaliate against South Korea and the US over the drills, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for an invasion.
“Our military and people will deal a merciless blow if warmongers stage reckless provocation,” North Korea’s government-run Web site, Uriminzokkiri, said in a commentary yesterday.
North Korea often makes such threats.
Meanwhile, South Korean and US troops recalled the Korean War yesterday, dressing in period uniforms to re-enact a crucial battle, including the blowing up of a bridge.
The battle took place in 1950 in a narrow area known as the Pusan Perimeter.
US and South Korean troops mounted a desperate defense against advancing North Korean soldiers that was crucial in turning the tide of the war.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
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