South Korea and the United States will conduct the Ssangyong large-scale amphibious military exercises for the first time in five years as part of the allies' field exercises, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean Air Force.

Ssangyong exercises will start on Monday, March 20. They will take place for the first time since 2018. This time, 30 landing ships, including allied amphibious assault ships, 70 aircraft, including F-35B fighters, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, as well as about 50 landing vehicles will take part in them.

"The upcoming military exercises will demonstrate the will of the South Korean-American alliance to 'achieve peace through strength,' and we will further strengthen the joint defense posture for the defense of South Korea," the South Korean marine corps said in a statement.

It was reported that for the first time about 40 soldiers of the British marines will take part in these exercises, and the crews of Australia, France, and the Philippines will participate as observers. Previously, the servicemen of Australia and New Zealand participated in the Ssangyong exercises.

North Korea strongly slammed the military exercises of Seoul and Washington. Kim Yo-jong, deputy head of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, promised "shocking" retaliatory measures if the US and South Korea continue military activity in the region, and said Pyongyang would take appropriate action if the movement of US strategic strike measures on the Korean Peninsula is assessed as a direct or indirect threat to North Korea.