South Korea and the United States will conduct large-scale amphibious landing exercises

South Korea and the United States plan to begin their first large-scale amphibious landing exercise in five years next week to demonstrate the military capabilities of the allies. It is reported by RBC with reference to Yonhap.

“The upcoming exercise will demonstrate the will of the South Korean-American alliance to achieve “peace through force,” and we will further strengthen the joint defense to protect South Korea,” said Commandant of the Marine Corps, Lieutenant General Kim Kye-hwan.

The Ssangyong (Double Dragon) exercise will take place in and around Pohang, 272 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the agency’s military source. They will begin on Monday, March 20, and will last until April 3. According to Yonhap, such exercises have not been held since 2018 against the backdrop of the desire of the previous South Korean President Moon Jae-in to restore relations with the DPRK. The resumption of the exercises is in line with the desire of Seoul’s allies to counter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

On March 13, South Korea and the United States began the joint exercise Freedom Shield (“Shield of Freedom”), which will be accompanied by field maneuvers Warrior Shield (“Shield of the Warrior”). They will last until March 23. Seoul and Washington are working out scenarios to repel a possible attack from North Korea, which take into account the ongoing ballistic missile launches and “nuclear threats” from the DPRK. Pyongyang views the announcement of the maneuvers as “preparation for an aggressive war.”

In February, the North Korean Foreign Ministry warned that South Korea and the United States would face an “unprecedented and powerful” response from Pyongyang in case of threats. Since the beginning of the exercises, the DPRK has launched daily missiles towards the Sea of ​​Japan, including intercontinental ballistic missiles.