S Korea, US Stage Major Joint Anti-submarine Drills

Local Editor

South Korea and the United States kicked off a major anti-submarine drill on Monday, weeks after North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

The three-day exercise, aimed at tackling provocations by North Korean submarines, is being conducted off the southern island of Jeju, the South's defense ministry said.

"This is the largest joint anti-submarine exercise the allies have ever staged, in terms of its scale and the number of vessels involved," a ministry spokesman said.

The exercise involves more than 10 ships, including a South Korean Aegis destroyer, as well as submarines, surveillance planes and helicopters, he said.

Separately, South Korean artillery units, naval ships and jet fighters conducted a joint live-fire drill off the east coast of Goseong country, just south of the border with North Korea, the ministry said.

The drills come amid growing concern over the expansion of the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team