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| This photo, provided by the foreign ministry, shows a firing demonstration at the 8th Maneuver Division in Pocheon, around 40 kilometers north of Seoul with diplomats stationed in the country from 18 nations, including the United States and the Czech Republic, on hand, May 2. Yonhap |
South Korea and the United States are set Thursday to conduct their largest-ever live-fire drills in a northeastern border city to mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance, amid their stepped-up efforts to bolster deterrence against growing North Korean military threats.
The Combined Joint Live-Fire Exercise, the first of its kind in six years, will take place at the Seungjin Fire Training Field, also known as the Nightmare Range, in Pocheon, 52 kilometers northeast of Seoul, Seoul officials said.
The exercise comes as cross-border tensions remain high due to North Korea's push to develop menacing weapons systems, such as underwater nuclear attack drones and a solid-fuel rocket, which critics said was disguised as a space launch vehicle.
It is expected to be a showcase of the allies' formidable firepower represented by their mainstay weapons systems, such as F-35A radar-evading fighters, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, K2 battle tanks and multiple launch rocket systems. The U.S. could deploy A-10 attack aircraft and F-16 fighter jets.
Observers said it could draw an angry reaction from Pyongyang. Last week, its state media said the planned "war exercise" against a "nuclear power" is "just sheer bullshit."
The allies plan to conduct the exercise four more times next month ― on June 2, 7, 12 and 15.
The last such exercise took place in 2017 and mobilized 48 South Korean and U.S. units, and over 2,000 troops. (Yonhap)
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