Due to the COVID-19, the joint military exercise between the U.S and S. Korea had to wait. (Image via Defence Aviation Post)

The U.S, S. Korea cancel military training due to COVID-19

The United States (U.S) and South Korean (S. Korea) militaries had to postpone their joint military exercises “until further notice” as S. Korea is struggling to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The U.S and S. Korea regularly hold joint military exercises to tackle threats from their mutual adversary, North Korea (N. Korea).

The U.S has 28,500 troops in S. Korea to protect the country, based at Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek, U.S biggest overseas military facility.

The Combined Forces Command said that S. Korea had declared the highest “severe” alert, as it reported 334 new confirmed cases as the cases totaled up to 1,595, with 12 people died.

Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, the decision to postpone the joint military exercises was delivered by the U.S Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper; Commander of U.S Forces Korea Command, Gen. Robert Abrams, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Park Han-ki.

According to S. Korea’s Minister of Defense, Jeong Kyeoing-doo, the COVID-19’s outbreak in S. Korea is grave. There are 18 S. Korean military personnel tested positive for COVID-19. Even, a U.S military soldier at Camp Carroll, 20km from Daegu, was also tested positive for the virus and immediately quarantined.

Daegu was considered the ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak in S. Korea, especially among the congregation of the Shincheonji church. Currently, the S. Korean government is struggling to hold medical tests on at least 200,000 congregations by dispatching 205 doctors and nurses.

Jeong then ordered to limit military mobility on all bases.

Source: https://bit.ly/32wHt4i