South Korea plays tough with soft tactics

The South Korean-U.S. Combined Forces Command, however, denied that the exercises constitute aggression and provocation against the North, arguing the exercises are "defensive in nature" and has nothing to do with the current situation on the peninsula.

The South Korean government, media and the public responded with calm to DPRK's strong-worded statements. South Korean Unification Ministry said the DPRK's reaction to the annual military drills looked similar both in form or content to what was expected over the previous years.

Situations in the conflict-prone regions near the "Northern Limit Line" and the Military Demarcation Line have remained calm since Monday. The joint Kaesong Industrial Complex bordering the demilitarized zone kept on normal production and did not seem to be affected by the drills.

The inter-Korean relations, chilled since Seoul's conservative Lee Myung-bak government took office in February 2008, worsened last year due to the sinking of Cheonan and the shelling exchange over Yeonpyeong Island.

A succession of U.S.-South Korean military exercises since then can only serve to prod the DPRK's sensitive nerve and further aggravate the tensions on the peninsula.

But some South Korean media and analysts believed that although the drills are likely to trigger temporary worsening of tension, the door for dialogue remains open.

In a speech delivered on Tuesday, President Lee Myung-bak reiterated that South Korea "is ready to engage in dialogue with the North (DPRK) anytime with an open mind."

The DPRK's Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on the same day, saying it had prepared for both possibilities of dialogue and war while it would continue to protest against the joint drills.

Japan, U.S. - involved parties impossible of standing aloof

The Japanese government has declined to comment on the ongoing drills,saying it was at each country's discretion whether to have joint military drills with another nation for national defense, Deputy Foreign Press Secretary Hidenobu Sobashima told the press Wednesday.

However, Japan does work with the United States and South Korea as it sees appropriate, such as sending observers to the military drills, he said.

He said Japan is closely watching the evolving situation in Northeast Asia and stands for peace and stability in the region.

Asked whether the upcoming military drills with the United States were related to the South Korea-U.S. military exercises, Sobashima said the decision was made by Japan's defense authorities in line with country's defense needs.

He said Japan's military exercises, whether involving the United States or not, had been held when necessary within appropriate limits.

Kyodo News reported earlier that Japan and the United States will hold a four-day exercise on simulated ballistic missile interception on an unspecified date.