South Korea launches major military drill

South Korea has launched a major military drill on Wednesday to enhance their capability for beach assaults and landings as part of the annual nationwide training exercises designed to deter North Korean threat, the South Korean Navy said. The eight-day drill mobilizes more than 1,900 marines, 10 ships and aircraft of the Navy, Army and Air Force to improve joint competence skills off the coast of Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Navy said. The drill is part of a larger training known as the Hoguk Exercise, which has been delayed due to a typhoon. Marines aboard the armored landing vehicles, carriers, warships and amphibious battle tanks will carry out a large-scale beach assault operation in the last training exercise, escorted by warships and fighter jets, it said. The ongoing exercises involved simulations of wartime beach assaults, operations of landing vehicles from naval ships, and training aimed at detecting and eliminating sea mines, officials said. The training is aimed at countering provocations by North Korea, which carries out amphibious assault training exercises in its coastal waters.