S. Korea, U.S. hold massive live-fire drill

Seoul (S. Korea), June 22 (Xinhua-ANI): South Korea and the United States staged their largest-ever live-fire drill on Friday amid lingering tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The one-day exercise in Pocheon, northeast of Seoul, involved fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters, armored vehicles and some 2,000 troops.

South Korea's defense ministry said in a statement that the drill was aimed at checking solid military preparedness and war- fighting capabilities against enemy provocation.

The joint drill, presided over by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, saw the participation of an airborne early warning and control aircraft called "Peace Eye" and T/A-50 light attack aircraft for the first time.

The drill came amid persistent tensions on the peninsula, following a failed long-range rocket launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in April. (Xinhua-ANI)