S. Korea rejects Russia's criticism of joint military exercises with U.S.

South Korea has rejected Russia's criticism of its joint military exercises with the United States, asserting that the drills are defensive in nature and aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul's foreign ministry released a statement after Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson claimed that the South Korea-U.S. exercises are designed to rehearse preemptive strikes against North Korea, including with nuclear weapons.

In response, Seoul emphasized that the joint exercises are conducted annually to maintain a robust combined defense posture in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats, and contribute to peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia.

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