美国和韩国星期一开始年度军事演习。有关官员表示，这次防御性质的演习大体上以电脑模拟为主。

朝鲜对美韩的军事演习表示反对，将演习视为对入侵朝鲜的演练。今年的美韩军事演习是在朝鲜上个月试射洲际弹道导弹引发朝鲜半岛紧张局势升级的背景下进行的。

朝鲜国营报纸《劳动新闻》星期天发表文章称，美国总统川普与韩国总统文在寅搞军事演习是在“玩儿火”，将加剧已经十分紧张的朝鲜半岛局势。

文在寅星期一表示，朝鲜不断的挑衅行为使美韩的军事演习成为必要。

他说：“演习没有任何加剧朝鲜半岛军事紧张的意思，因为美韩的军事演习每年都举行，而且是防御性质的。朝鲜不应该夸大我们为维护和平所做的努力，也不应采取使局势恶化的挑衅行为。”

美韩军事演习预计将持续到8月31日，约有1万7500名美军和5万名韩国军事人员参加。

今年美军参加演习的人数少于去年。美国国防部长马蒂斯表示，减少参加演习美军人数与缓和同朝鲜的紧张关系无关，而是“为了达到演习目标而有意为之”。

The United States and South Korea began their annual military exercises Monday, with officials describing the largely computer-simulated war games as defensive in nature.

The drills draw objections from North Korea, which sees them as a rehearsal for an invasion, and this year the exercises come after tensions on the peninsula shot up with North Korea's test-firing of intercontinental ballistic missiles last month.

A commentary in Sunday's editon of North Korea's state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are "playing with fire" by holding the drills and aggravating the already-tense situation on the Korean peninsula.

Moon said Monday it is North Korea's "continued provocations" that make the military exercises necessary.

"There is no intent at all to heighten military tension on the Korean peninsula as these drills are held annually and of a defensive nature," he said. "North Korea should not exaggerate our efforts to keep peace nor should they engage in provocations that would worsen the situation."

The exercises are schedule to run through August 31 and involve 17,500 U.S. troops and 50,000 South Korean military personnel.

The number of U.S. forces is lower than it was last year. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the reduction is not related to easing tensions with North Korea, but rather "by design to achieve the exercise objectives."