U.S. to hold military exercises with South Korea

The Pentagon said Monday it would participate in two new military exercises with South Korea, the first direct military response from the U.S. as a result of the sinking of a South Korean warship.

Bryan G. Whitman, the Pentagon spokesman, said Monday the U.S. military would participate in an anti-submarine maneuver in “the near future.” The U.S. will also participate in another exercise with South Korea and potentially other regional allies aimed at improving abilities to interdict North Korean cargo ships.

The exercises were first announced Sunday in Seoul by the South Korean defense ministry. The U.S. announcement came as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that he expected the Security Council to take “appropriate” steps to respond.

An international investigation has held North Korea responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korea naval vessel on March 26. The apparent attack killed 46 South Korean sailors and represented what South Korean and U.S. officials consider a violation of the armistice between Pyongyang and Seoul that ended the Korean war of the 1950s.

The anti-submarine exercise is likely to be aimed at deterring any future torpedo attacks by North Korea. The maritime interdiction exercise, as it is known, will be aimed at improving the international community’s abilities to halt illegal weapons exports from North Korea.

Whitman said the exercises were a sign of the “continuation of a very strong, closely-coordinated relationship” with South Korea, but said the two events were scheduled specifically in response to the attack on the warship.

Defense officials also emphasized the U.S. plans to push for a broader multi-lateral response to North Korea.

“We will continue to work not only with the Republic of Korea, but other allies and partners to reduce the threat North Korea poses to regional security,” Whitman said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will meet with the Japanese defense minister Tuesday at the Pentagon. The two men are expected to further discuss how regional allies can deter North Korean military attacks.

The White House ordered U.S. military commanders to coordinate with their South Korean counterparts to “insure readiness and deter aggression.”

The U.S. participation in the new exercise is the primary example of the emphasis on deterring aggression. But the U.S. command in Korea and the South Korean military already coordinate all of their activities.

julian.barnes@latimes.com