The Korea Herald

피터빈트

S. Korea's Marine Corps to kick off landing drill in May

By 송상호

Published : April 15, 2011 - 21:54

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 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Marine Corps said Friday that it will launch a large-scale landing drill next month as part of efforts to sharpen its combat capabilities against North Korea.

   About 3,000 marines and an unidentified number of troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force will be mobilized for the drill set to take place in Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in late May, it said.

   "The landing drill was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed due to a quake in Japan," said an official at the Marine Corps.

   F-15 fighter jets, KF-16 fighter jets and navy ships will be also mobilized for the drill, he said.

   The upcoming drill comes amid high tensions on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's two deadly attacks on the South last year.

   The North's torpedo attack killed 46 South Korean sailors on the Yellow Sea border in March last year. Tensions between the two Koreas rose further after the North bombarded Yeonpyeong Island last November, killing four people.