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| This photo, provided by the Marine Corps, shows Marines heading to northwestern border islands to take part in defense drills from May 30 to June 1, May 29. Yonhap |
South Korea's military began three-day joint defense drills for western border islands Tuesday, officials said, as tensions linger over North Korean military threats.
The exercise got under way on the border islands in the Yellow Sea, including Baengnyeong Island, 209 kilometers west of Seoul, led by the North West Islands Defense Command and joined by troops from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps, according to military officials.
It marked the drills' resumption after a six-year hiatus amid COVID-19 restrictions and the previous administration's drive for inter-Korean reconciliation.
The latest exercise comes as North Korea has announced a plan to launch its first military surveillance satellite next month.
"We have strengthened the monitoring posture in preparation for North Korea's provocations during the exercise period," a military official said. (Yonhap)
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