Japan, US begin biggest-ever military exercises

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Japan, US begin biggest-ever military exercises

Tokyo, Dec 3 (DPA)

Around 44,000 Japanese and US troops began week-long joint military drills

around Japan Friday, 10 days after North Korea attacked a South Korean island.

About 60 vessels and 400 planes from the two countries' armed forces were taking

part in the exercises in the Sea of Japan and near Okinawa island, which come

two days after a joint drill between the US and South Korea ended.

The South Korean defence ministry has dispatched observers to the drills for the

first time. Japan sent observers to US-South Korean exercises in July. North

Korea Nov 23 shelled Yeonpyeong island, near the disputed border between the

Koreas in the Yellow Sea, killing two marines and two civilians.