MOSCOW, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - Pope Francis has urged the divided Koreas to unite in a spirit of forgiveness and called them “members of one family,” Agence France-Presse reported Monday.
"Forgiveness is the door which leads to reconciliation", although it may seem "impossible, impractical and even at times repugnant", Francis said in Seoul, according to AFP.
Tensions have been high on the Korean peninsula, following an extended series of North Korean missile and rocket tests in recent months. UN resolutions bar North Korea from any launches using ballistic missile technology.
Earlier in the day, Yonhap reported that South Korea and the United States began the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) drill, a joint military exercise aimed at testing readiness to combat any North Korean invasion. Some 50,000 South Korean soldiers and 30,000 American military will take part in the 12-day drill, according to the agency.
North Korea slammed the drill as a rehearsal for invasion. Pyongyang threatened the United States and South Korea with "pre-emptive" attacks if they go ahead with the military exercise.
