The South Korean Army said Wednesday that it has completed its largest-ever drill to counter rear area infiltration by North Korean troops in the event of war.

South Korea's 2nd Operations Command said that the military finished a three-day exercise earlier Wednesday, which focused on crushing a possible amphibious assault by North Korean troops along the country's western coast.

The exercise involved 27 units from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, mobilizing more than 3,300 personnel and military assets, including helicopters, surveillance planes and a corvette-type warship.

The command said it focused on how to effectively and promptly dispatch South Korean soldiers and military hardware to a combat zone in the event of an emergency situation breaking out on the peninsula.

There has been growing speculation that North Korea may carry out its fifth nuclear test and launch a long-range missile test ahead of its ruling party's congress slated for early May.

The military also said it applied the concept of a "RSOI" joint drill between Seoul and Washington in its latest field exercise to further deter North Korea from engaging in sporadic provocations. RSOI is the acronym for Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration.

The RSOI exercise between South Korea's 2nd Operations Command and the 8th U.S. Army calls for South Korea's military to provide immediate support for U.S. expeditionary forces sent to South Korea in the event of an armed conflict.

"The latest exercise provided a chance to build up confidence in annihilating the enemy in any situation," said Park Chan-ju, commander of the 2nd Operations Command. (Yonhap)