▲ This photo, taken Oct. 14, 2022, shows a news report on North Korea's firing of artillery shots into maritime buffer zones being aired on a television at Seoul Station in central Seoul. (Yonhap)

S Korea-military drills

S. Korea keeping close tabs on N. Korea during Hoguk drills

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military is keeping close tabs on North Korea's movements and maintaining an emergency response posture amid concerns of additional provocations during an ongoing defense exercise in the South, an official here said Monday.

The annual Hoguk drills kicked off earlier in the day after a series of provocations by the North in recent weeks, including the firing of a short-range ballistic missile Friday.

"Comprehensively assessing the recent situations, we are closely tracking and monitoring (the North's) related movements and maintaining a firm readiness posture," said Col. Kim Jun-rak, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), at a regular briefing. "The exercise will be carried out in a substantive way with a focus on maintaining the preparedness and enhancing joint operational capabilities."

This year's training, set to run until Oct. 28, is aimed mainly at improving the military's capabilities to carry out peacetime and wartime missions by simulating various threats from the North, including those involving its nuclear arms and missiles, according to the JCS.

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