South Korea continues new military exercises, welcomes Portuguese Prime Minister for the first time in 35 years

Hàn Quốc tiếp tục cuộc tập trận mới, lần đầu tiên sau 35 năm đón một Thủ tướng Bồ Đào Nha sang thăm. (Nguồn: Reuters)

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa will visit South Korea for two days, starting April 11. (Source: Reuters)

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that the exercise, named Hwarang, will last for five days in the southern city of Daegu, 237 km southeast of Seoul, and around North Gyeongsang Province.

Additional drills are planned in five other major areas across South Korea through October.

This year's Hwarang exercise will see the return of full-scale exercises after being scaled down or switched to discussion format since the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, the JCS said.

South Korean authorities plan to hold airstrike drills to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, anti-terrorism drills and cyber-terrorism response training.

This is seen as part of efforts to maintain a coordinated defense posture against military threats from Pyongyang.

On the same day, Seoul announced that Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa will visit South Korea this week to hold talks with his host counterpart Han Duck-soo.

Mr. Costa will become the first Portuguese prime minister to make an official visit to South Korea in 39 years.

Mr. Costa is expected to arrive in Seoul on April 11 and meet with Prime Minister Han on April 12.

During his two-day visit to Korea, Mr. Costa will also attend a Korea-Portugal business forum and visit a major local company.

Korea and Portugal established diplomatic relations in 1961. The two sides have been expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, including economy, trade, digital technology and renewable energy.

Mr. Costa's upcoming visit is expected to be an opportunity to further deepen the bilateral partnership.