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South Korea: military exercises with the United States intensify

Audio 01:28

South Korean navies take up positions during the demonstration of their beach landing operation after the combined amphibious landing military exercise between South Korea and the United States, called Exercise Ssangyong, in Pohang, South Korea, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. AP - Lee Jin-man

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

North Korean missile launches and military exercises between the United States and South Korea. This is how the two sides traditionally respond to each other on the Korean peninsula. While they have been at a standstill since 2018, major maneuvers between the US and South Korean militaries have resumed and intensified in recent months. Pyongyang believes that this is a dress rehearsal for an invasion of its territory, while Washington and Seoul assure that they are defensive.

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With our correspondent in South Korea, Nicolas Rocca

An operation of Exercises Ssangyong, "double dragon" in Korean, is a simulation of a landing on the North Korean coast. From Pohang Beach in the southeast of the peninsula, it is difficult to see the five large amphibious ships hidden behind the mist. The passage of fighter planes and helicopters give the signal. Suddenly, fifty vehicles of the Korean armed forces approach at high speed.

Able to sail on the sea, equipped with tracks to storm the beach, they contain a handful of men who throw themselves into the sand rifle in hand.

Colonel Yoo Chang-won considered the operation successful. "This exercise has once again demonstrated the strong alliance and joint defense posture of the Republic of Korea and U.S. Marines. The Marines are ready for combat and we will respond to any provocation from the enemy," he said.

► READ ALSO: Joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States: Pyongyang multiplies the warning signals

"A routine exercise"

Once the ground is secured by the Koreans, it is the turn of the US Marines to land on huge hovercraft with war vehicles.

When we are on the beach and the troops rush with the guns pointed at us, it is difficult to see a purely defensive operation as Captain Kevin Buss assures. "It's a routine exercise, defensive in nature. And this contributes to the common defense of the peninsula. The most likely event in which we would use these types of exercises is as part of humanitarian aid and disaster relief to help our friends and allies when they need American help," he said.

A divisive communication operation. On one side of the beach, protesters showed their support for the soldiers while others unfurled a banner demanding the departure of US troops from Korea.

► Read also: North Korea says it has tested a new submarine "drone" nuclear attack

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Read on on the same topics:

• South Korea
• North Korea
• United States
• Defense