Washington and Seoul postponed the day they held a computer simulation exercise after a Korean officer tested positive for nCoV.

"The exercise will begin on August 18 due to the Covid-19 situation," said the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Korean Coalition (JSC) in a statement.

The Korean news agency Yonhap earlier said that the US-Korea joint exercise would take place on August 16-28 with a smaller scale than in previous years.

"This year's drills do not mobilize troops from the US due to entry restrictions into Korea to control Covid-19. The main content is to maintain a state of synergistic defense, while some exercises shift.

The drills involved tens of thousands of soldiers from the two countries, mainly around computer simulation training, instead of actual combat and shooting of real bullets.

The US-Korea joint exercises are often opposed by North Korea on the grounds that this is a "prepare for war" activity.

Korea has so far recorded more than 15,300 cases of nCoV infection, of which 305 people have died.