Yellow Sea: The Marine Corps has staged regular defense drills on border islands in the Yellow Sea as part of efforts to maintain readiness against North Korean military threats, officials said Friday. The three-day joint exercise involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force began Wednesday on islands near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) -- the de facto inter-Korean maritime boundary -- mobilizing some 5,500 troops, more than 10 warships, and around 40 aircraft.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the exercise focused on measures to counter North Korean threats, including drone infiltrations and artillery firings. The drills featured the use of K9 self-propelled howitzers, Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, and amphibious assault vehicles. On the island of Daecheong, Marines conducted medical treatment drills under a scenario of mass casualties, with the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital mobilizing a drone taskforce to transport blood to the island.
The border sea areas have been a flashpoint between the two Koreas, as the North has never recognized the boundary and has continued to demand that it be redrawn further south. Historical tensions were highlighted in November 2010 when Pyongyang bombarded the border island of Yeonpyeong, resulting in the deaths of two Marines and two civilians.