US, S Korea to replace Key Resolve drills with Dong Maeng exercise

South Korea and the United States will be launching a new nine-day Dong Maeng exercise on Monday to replace their Key Resolve drills, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) announced on Sunday.

The announcement comes a day after Seoul and Washington decided to end the annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills in a bid to keep the dialogue alive with Pyongyang after the US-North Korea summit ended abruptly in Hanoi last week.

"Dong Maeng, which means alliance in English, has been modified from the previously held spring exercises Key Resolve and Foal Eagle and will focus on strategic, operational and tactical aspects of general military operations on the Korean Peninsula," a statement quoting Seoul's JCS Chairman, General Park Han-ki, and CFC Commander General Robert Abrams, noted.

"These exercises are crucial in sustaining and strengthening the alliance," they said.

Both the sides added that the upcoming exercise is imperative for armies to train and maintain "a standard of readiness," reported Yonhap News Agency.

Meanwhile, low-key battalion-or lower-level drills are expected to replace the year-round Foal Eagle field training.

North Korea has previously criticised the exercises and has asked both South Korea and the US to cease military drills in the Korean peninsula.

"The minister and secretary made clear that the alliance's decision to adapt our training program reflected our desire to reduce tension and support our diplomatic efforts to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a final, fully verified manner," the statement further said.