South Korea and the United States have begun their annual joint military exercises in the Korean peninsula.

According to a Pentagon spokesman, the Foal Eagle field exercises involving combined ground, air, naval and special operations troops will continue for a month.

He said the computer-simulated Key Resolve will be held for two weeks starting in mid-April.

The spokesman said the joint drills would involve about 23,700 U.S. troops and 300,000 South Korean forces.