Korea to participate in multinational drill in Thailand

Korea will send some 330 troops to Thailand later this month for its first full-scale participation in an annual multinational exercise co-sponsored by the United States and Thailand, military officials said Friday, according to Yonhap News.

A total of 333 troops, including 187 Marines, will participate in the Cobra Gold (CG) drill, which will continue through Feb. 11, the Republic of Korea Navy said in a press release.

South Korea, among the six full-participating nations including the United States, Japan and Singapore, will also deploy an amphibious vessel and several armored landing vehicles.

The CG exercise first began in 1981 under the leadership of the U.S. Pacific Command and Thailand military. It is designed for multinational troops dispatched by the United Nations to master the procedure of terminating armed conflicts and stabilizing dispute-ridden countries.

The upcoming participation will mark the first time South Korea contributes its troops to the exercise, which has gradually shifted its focus to peacekeeping operations from disaster control, local officials said. From 2002 until last year, South Korea has participated in the drill as an observer.