16 June 2017

News Story: S. Korean Navy begins Dokdo defense drills

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Navy said Thursday that it has kicked off an exercise on defending the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo, rebutting Japan's routine protest.

The two-day training is part of efforts to defend Dokdo from the possible aggression of "outside forces," the Navy announced.

It was apparently referring to Japan, which claims sovereignty over the Seoul-controlled islets in the East Sea.

This week's drill involves the 3,200-ton Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer and six other ships of the Navy and the Coast Guard, plus four naval and Air Force aircraft, including an F-15K fighter jet and a P-3C Orion patrol plane.

A unit of marines is also staging a landing drill on Dokdo.

"The training this time has no major difference from previous ones. It's taking place at a similar level (in terms of its scale)," Cdr. Jang Wook, the Navy's spokesman, told reporters.

Read the full story at YonhapNews