South Korea Prepares New Drills

There was no endpoint listening at http://api.microsofttranslator.com/v1/Soap.svc that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details.
There was no endpoint listening at http://api.microsofttranslator.com/v1/Soap.svc that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details.

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea vowed Wednesday to ``punish the enemy'' as hundreds of troops, fighter jets, tanks and attack helicopters prepared for massive new drills near the heavily armed border a month after a deadly North Korean artillery attack.

Dong-a Ilbo/AFP/Getty Images Kim Yoon-ok, wife of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, hugged a military trainee during her visit to an army recruit training center in Nonsan, south of Seoul, Tuesday.

Although the North backed down from its threat to retaliate over South Korean drills Monday in west coast waters claimed by both countries, South Korean forces have been on high alert this week, warning of surprise attacks. The North responded to a Nov. 23 artillery drill on South Korea's front-line Yeonpyeong Island with an artillery bombardment that killed four, including two civilians.

``We will completely punish the enemy if it provokes us again like the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island,'' said Brig. Gen. Ju Eun-sik, chief of the army's 1st armored brigade.

South Korea's navy began an annual four-day firing and anti-submarine exercises Wednesday off the country's less-tense east coast.

The disputed western sea border has been the site of most of the Koreas' recent military skirmishes, including last month's artillery bombardment. But the east coast was used by the North as a submarine route for communist agents to infiltrate South Korea in the past.

Reuters South Korean marines patrol on Yeonpyeong island December 22, 2010.

South Korea's army and air force also planned joint firing drills Thursday near the Koreas' land border.

The training, the 48th of its kind this year, will be the biggest-ever wintertime joint firing exercise that South Korea's army and air force have staged, the army said in a statement. The drill will involve 800 troops, F-15K and KF-16 jet fighters, K-1 tanks, AH-1S attack helicopters and K-9 self-propelled guns, the statement said.

South Korea had planned to conduct only 47 drills of this type this year but decided to conduct one more because of continuing tension with North Korea, an army officer said on condition of anonymity citing department rules.

View the original article here