The nominee for the British military’s second highest post arrived in South Korea Tuesday to observe the annual joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington, the British Embassy said.

Lt. Gen. Gordon Messenger made the visit to encourage 56 servicemen from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force who are taking part in the ongoing Key Resolve, the embassy said in a press release.

S. Korea and the United States kicked off its largest-ever anti-North military drill last week amid heightened inter-Korean tensions following North Korea’s recent nuclear and long-range missile tests.

Messenger has been promoted to U.K Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, the embassy said.

He is scheduled to meet with senior S. Korean and American military officers to be briefed on the exercise, it said. (Yonhap)