S. Korea Begins Annual War Games Amid Nuclear Threat From Across 38th Parallel

South Korea is starting its annual Hoguk military exercise today, focusing on response to various simulated threats from the North. The drills will last until October 28 and involve troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, as well as some U.S. forces.

• The large-scale military exercises raise the risk of escalation in inter-Korean tensions, as Pyongyang could frame them as a provocation and respond with another demonstration of force. There is broad consensus that North Korea has achieved readiness for its seventh nuclear test.
• The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol said it is on 24-hour standby, with Pyongyang expected to conduct a nuclear drill at any time. Yonhap News Agency cited an official who said the presidential office has drafted detailed plans on how to respond to a potential nuclear test.
• South Korea's National Intelligence Services suggested that the nuclear test could come between October 16 and November 7, that is after the opening of the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and before U.S. mid-term elections.