Freedom Shield exercise conducted in accordance with int'l law: U.S. Maj. General

A United States Army major general stationed in South Korea has said the recent U.S.-Korea joint military exercise was not a "nuclear war" exercise.

Major General William Taylor, who is serving as the Operations Chief of the UN command and the combined U.S.-Korea forces., made the remark in an interview on Tuesday with Yonhap News Agency when asked about North Korea's criticism of the Freedom Shield exercises, a joint military training program that started on March 10th, which the North claims are rehearsals for invasion.

He also emphasized that all the exercises are being conducted in accordance with international law.

When asked about the possibility of the U.S. reducing or withdrawing U.S. troops from Korea, he said that the U.S. is focused on maintaining strong forces capable of ensuring regional security.