S KOREA/N KOREA: South Korean soldiers in military drills while North's Kim visits border military units

Record ID: 863534

  • Title: S KOREA/N KOREA: South Korean soldiers in military drills while North's Kim visits border military units
  • Date: 12th March 2013
  • Summary: PAJU, SOUTH KOREA (MARCH 12, 2013) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREAN ARMY TANK FIRING WHILE OTHER TANKS WAITING GUN BARRELS OF TANKS GOING DOWN AFTER FIRING GUN BARREL OF TANK SOUTH KOREAN SOLDIERS STANDING NEXT TO TANK VARIOUS OF TANKS SOUTH KOREAN SOLDIER SITTING ON TOP OF TANK AND GETTING INSIDE TANK GUN BARREL OF TANK TANK VARIOUS OF SOUTH KOREAN SOLDIERS WATCHING MILITARY DRILL VARIOUS OF TANKS IN FIELD
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, Korea, Republic of
  • City:
  • Country: Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
  • Topics: Conflict,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAD4UX82MH2TSBMU1VJIAP67EM3
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: South Korean soldiers took part in a military drill on Tuesday (March 12) near the demilitarised zone dividing the Korean peninsula amid rising tensions over North Korea's threats.
    In Paju, the border area, South Korean soldiers were conducting a regular military exercise with about 30 tanks, a drill separate from the joint drills currently underway with U.S. troops.
    South Korea and U.S. forces are conducting large-scale joint military drills until the end of April, while the North is also gearing up for a state-wide military exercise.
    North Korea's official media on Tuesday (March 12) released still photographs of its leader Kim Jong-un visiting military units near the border with the South.
    The North's state news agency KCNA said Kim visited the Wolnae Islet Defence Detachment and a long-range artillery sub-unit of KPA Unit 641 on Monday (March 11).
    The still photos showed Kim Jong-un on a boat sailing toward the island where the military units are based and being welcomed by soldiers as well as looking around the units and speaking to soldiers.
    On March 7, Kim also inspected two military units, the Jangjae Islet Defence Detachment and Mu Islet Hero Defence Detachment, near the border with the South.
    On Monday (March 11), North Korea cut off a Red Cross hotline with the South as its war of words escalated against Seoul and Washington in response to the joint military drill in the South and U.N. sanctions imposed for its recent nuclear test.
    North Korea has accused the United States of using the military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war and has threatened to scrap the armistice with Washington that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War.
    Tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen since the North conducted a third nuclear test on February 12, prompting new U.N. sanctions.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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