International Exercises

[Anchor Lead]

As South Korean and U.S. forces move to beef up their military readiness against potential North Korean provocations, the two allies will also carry out a mine warfare exercise with Canada and the Philippines in waters off Jinhae Bay, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The drill is aimed at securing maritime routes in an emergency.

[Pkg]

Naval forces from four countries--South Korea, the U.S., Canada and the Philippines--will participate in a joint mine warfare exercise. The drill, the second of its kind, following one held last year, will be carried out in waters off Jinhae Bay for a week from Saturday. The South Korean Navy will mobilize roughly ten naval vessels, including the 3,000-ton minelayer Nampo, and P-3 maritime patrol aircraft. The drill will involve the U.S.' 1,400-ton minesweeper, two anti-mine vessels and mine-clearing helicopters. Explosive ordnance disposal teams from the four countries will also take part in the exercise. In the drill, the South Korean minelayer will plant mines, and the U.S.' mine sweeper and disposal team will locate and remove them. Mines are capable of blowing a naval vessel up underwater, since it holds explosives and an ignition device in a ball-shaped tube. The weapons can be used to paralyze the enemy's strategic bases and maritime routes in an emergency. But in other words, it can also cause enormous damage to friendly forces.

[Soundbite] Lieutenant Colonel Jang Wook(Navy PR Chief) : "It is necessary to completely remove mines planted by the enemy, since they pose an enormous threat to the safe voyage of ships and allied forces' augmentation operations."

The South Korean Navy stressed that through the exercise, it will strengthen its capabilities to conduct joint operations with allies and secure maritime routes to achieve a victory in an emergency.