U.S. and South Korea hold joint drills amid mounting tensions with North Korea

On Monday, the United States and South Korea began a series of joint military drills amid mounting tensions with the North Korean regime, as well as neighboring China and Russia.

The drills will last for more than a week and mark the first such activities in six years, the Washington Times reported. Former President Donald Trump had suspended these drills while pursuing diplomatic talks with the communist regime.

Current South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has eschewed diplomacy with Pyongyang, instead opting for deterrence measures to intimidate the Kim family running its northern rival.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo echoed Seoul's sentiment, telling reporters that "[w]ithout exercises, it is impossible to retain adequate levels of deterrence... That was a mistake of the last five years," per the Times.

The North Korean regime has stoked heightened concerns of aggression in recent months, firing missiles barrages into the sea while demanding the cessation of military drills.

Early last week, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned that Pyongyang was prepared for "quick, overwhelming action" against Seoul and the U.S.

"We keep our eye on the restless military moves by the U.S. forces and the South Korean puppet military and are always on standby to take appropriate, quick and overwhelming action at any time according to our judgment," she said. 

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.