Responding to calls by Pyongyang to stop South-Korea-U.S joint military exercises, Seoul said Thursday that it will continue to hold defense drills to protect its territory.
 
In a regular briefing on Thursday, Ministry of Defense spokesman Kim Min-seok said the joint drills are defense exercises to protect South Korea and that it doesn't make sense for North Korea to demand suspending them.
 
Kim said the military must hold the exercises to always be prepared for various situations that may occur during a war.
 
Regarding media reports that North Korea has a new war plan that calls for “a seven-day war," Kim said the government hasn't obtained a specific war plan, but is preparing to respond to any kind of operation.