South Korean marines take part in a joint military exercise with US forces in Pohang. (AFP/file photo)

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korea and the United States kicked off a joint military exercise Monday as schedule despite of a protest from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    The annual training, dubbed the Ulchi Focus Lens, draws about 10,000 American troops and an undisclosed number of South Korean troops during its 12-day session, Kim Yong-kyu, a spokesman at the US Forces Korea (USFK)'s command in Seoul, was quoted by South Korean major news agency Yonhap as saying.

    Half of the US forces came from the US bases in Japan, Guam and other bases outside the Korean Peninsula, Kim added.

    The joint exercise has aroused strong criticism from the DPRK, who condemned exercise as a preparatory move to launch a preemptive nuclear attack against it.

    The exercise is one of three major joint exercises conducted by South Korea and the US. The other two are Foal Eagle in the fall and the so-called RSO&I (Receiving, Staging, Onward movement and Integration) in the spring.

    The US currently stations 32,500 troops in South Korea. Enditem