The armies of South Korea and the United States yesterday carried out live-fire maneuvers near the border with North Korea, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, cited by Archyde.com.
The maneuvers involve infantry units and have been taking place since December 29 in the city of Pocheon, 45 kilometers northeast of Seoul. The exercises, which will continue until Friday, aim to reinforce the allies’ interoperational capabilities, according to the General Staff’s statement.
The exercises involve 110 different weapons systems from South Korea and the US, including K1A2 tanks, armored vehicles such as the K-600, A-10 fighter jets and artillery systems.
North Korean media yesterday criticized these maneuvers, with the state news agency KCNA describing the exercises in Pocheon and some of the live fire maneuvers as self-destructive actions.
South Korean General Staff spokesman Lee Sung-jun said at a press conference yesterday that North Korean armed forces have been carrying out traditional winter exercises since before the end of the year.
These exercises generally last until spring and usually involve artillery tests.