South Korea, United States start military drills

The drills, called Ulchi Freedom Guardian, last until Friday and come as envoys in talks on ending the North's nuclear arms program discuss a mechanism to verify claims Pyongyang made about its production of arms-grade plutonium.

About 56,000 South Korean troops and 10,000 U.S. troops will joint the exercises that test communication, computer and command systems, South Korean military officials have told local media.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday led a meeting of his National Security Council in a secure basement bunker of the presidential Blue House as part of the drill, officials said.

"In our relationship with the North, there always exists the possibility of localized conflict, so we cannot afford to loosen our readiness," Lee was quoted as saying by Blue House officials.

North Korea's official media on Monday said the drills were intended "to start a new war on the peninsula and stifle the North with force".

Last month, the North's KCNA news agency said of the drills: "It is quite nonsensical for the U.S. to offer a handshake to its dialogue partner, while holding a dagger in its other hand".

The United States has about 27,000 soldiers in South Korea to support the country's 670,000 troops. North Korea positions most of it 1.2 million troops near the border with the South.