Seoul: South Korea and the United States on Thursday conducted combined live-fire drills near the inter-Korean border in a demonstration of firepower against North Korean military threats ahead of their annual springtime exercise this month. The exercise was held at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, located just 25 kilometers south of the border, involving over 160 pieces of military equipment, such as K2 tanks, K55A1 self-propelled howitzers, Apache attack helicopters, and F-35A stealth jets.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this was the first exercise of its kind by the allies this year, and it was conducted in connection with the upcoming annual Freedom Shield exercise. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Bronson were expected to visit and oversee the live-fire drills.
The training commenced with reconnaissance missions by South Korean and U.S. military drones against simulated threats, followed by artillery firing. Mechanized infantry troops and tanks were then deployed to secure the target areas. Additionally, South Korean fighter jets released over 30 live munitions, including an MK-84 bomb designed to penetrate 60 centimeters of concrete, aimed at bunkers or hardened structures.
North Korea has consistently criticized the allies' military drills, labeling them as rehearsals for an invasion, whereas South Korea and the U.S. maintain that these exercises are purely defensive.