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S Korea to hold 'mega drill'
[Al Jazeera] South Korea will hold its largest-ever live fire drill near the military border with North Korea in a show of force just as tension on the peninsula was easing after Pyongyang's attack on a southern island.The drill on Thursday, involving the largest number of personnel in a peace-time exercise, comes after the South's artillery exercise on Monday on the island of Yeonpyeong. The move is bound to infuriate the North. North Korea this week offered to re-admit UN inspectors to its nuclear-weapon programme, leading to speculation of a resumption of the six-party disarmament talks and a general sigh of relief around the world that the crisis had passed. "Yes, it will be a show of force against that," an army officer said when asked if the shelling of Yeonpyeong last month was a factor in the new drill's planning. He added similar drills had been staged previously on more than 50 occasions, but the scale this time was unprecedented. It will take place in Pocheon region, less than 50km north of downtown Seoul and will also involve artillery and fighter jets. Posted by: Fred 2010-12-23 |
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