South Korean and US troops will carry out an anti-invasion drill on a frontline island next month in response to North Korea’s construction of a hovercraft base, news reports said yesterday. A US military spokesman said he had no information, but, if confirmed, it would be the first time the two allies have conducted a joint exercise on Baengnyeong island, near the disputed sea border in the Yellow Sea.
The reports came as US -Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton headed to South Korea for talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
SBS TV and Chosun daily said special troops from the two allies will conduct the drill around the middle of next month.
An unidentified military source was quoted by Chosun as saying a hovercraft base at Goampo on North Korea’s southwestern coast was expected to be completed in June.
Goampo is about 50km north of Baengnyeong island and it would take only between 30 minutes and 40 minutes for a North Korean hovercraft with about 40 troops on board to reach the island, the source said.
Goampo is likely to house about 70 hovercraft, he said.
“In response to this threat, special troops of the two countries will carry out a drill on Baengnyeong island against attackers on hovercraft,” the source said.
US Apache attack helicopters may take part, the daily said.
South Korea’s Marine Corps said on Friday that it would launch a large-scale landing drill next month at Pohang, well south of the front line, late next month.
About 3,000 marines and an unidentified number of troops from the South Korean army, as well as navy ships and air force jets will be mobilized for the drill aimed at sharpening combat capabilities against North Korea.
The landing drill was originally scheduled for last month, but was postponed because of the quake in Japan, the Marine Corp said.
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