Pohang: South Korean and U.S. Marines have been staging combined exercises, including amphibious landing drills, since mid-July in a bid to step up their joint operational capabilities, the Marine Corps said Wednesday. The Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) has involved some 2,500 troops, including around 1,500 U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The joint exercise will run through mid-August in the southeastern port city of Pohang and other areas.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the allies have been seeking to enhance their joint operational capabilities by staging a range of drills, including battalion-level amphibious landing exercises. As part of the drills, troops conducted the "decisive action" phase of the exercise in Pohang, involving military assets, such as the KAAV amphibious assault vehicles, MUH-1 Marineon helicopter, and CH-47 Chinook helicopter.