Korea, U.S. conduct joint marine attack exercise

South Korea and the United States are conducting a joint marine infiltration and attack exercise, testing the interoperability of the two countries' forces for a potential operation against North Korea, Seoul's military said Wednesday.

The joint exercise kicked off on June 27 in the southwest coastal city of Pohang for an 18-day run, mobilizing 800 South Korean marine troops and 500 U.S. marine forces based in Okinawa, Japan, the Marine Corps said in a statement.

Yonhap

South Korea deployed about 100 K-1 tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, transport helicopters and howitzers for the joint exercise while the U.S. side mobilized around 50 attack helicopters and M777 155-millimeter towed howitzers, according to the statement.

The main part of the combined exercise involved a joint operation to penetrate deep into enemy territory and launch assaults on the enemy's key military facilities, the Marine Corps said.

It is the allies' first joint marine exercise in which all branches of the two countries' marine forces, including infantry, combat engineers, armor and artillery units, took part in the exercise.

"The key focus of this exercise is on fostering joint ability to carry out ground operations to destroy the enemy's center," the Marine Corps said. (Yonhap)