Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Wednesday that preparations for annual combined drills between South Korea and the United States are under way as planned, calling such exercises a "lifeline" for the military. Ahn made the remarks during a television appearance amid calls for a need to readjust the military drills to help revive dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea, as both Seoul and Washington are seeking to reengage with Pyongyang. "Drills are a lifeline for soldiers," Ahn said in a televised interview with Yonhap News TV. "Both South Korea and the U.S. are thoroughly preparing for the exercises under a roadmap, without any significant change so far." The South Korean and U.S. militaries conduct large-scale drills twice a year -- the springtime Freedom Shield and the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises. Both militaries stress the drills are defensive in nature, but the North has denounced them as a rehearsal for invasion. Ahn still left open the possibility of readjusting the drills, saying that the political situation could be taken into account if talks between North Kor