S. Korean army holds nighttime firing drills in border county of Goseong

The South Korean army conducted a nighttime firing exercise in the border county of Goseong earlier this week, the armed service said on April 18, in efforts to bolster readiness against potential North Korean provocations, Report informs via Yonhap.

About 300 troops from the army's Third Corps took part in the exercise conducted Wednesday and Thursday in the coastal county of Goseong, some 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the army.

The drills mobilized some 40 pieces of key equipment, including the K9A1 self-propelled howitzer, the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher and surveillance equipment, such as a counter-battery radar and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it added.

In the exercise, troops detected a simulated enemy provocation using the radar and fired in response. They then confirmed the outcome using a UAV and fired again in a show of swift firepower.

"The army will strive to establish a military readiness posture to respond overwhelmingly to any enemy provocation through practical education and training at combat sites," it said.

The army said safety guidelines were shared with the local community prior to the exercise and implemented during the drills in cooperation with the Coast Guard.