▲ This photo, provided by South Korea's Navy on Feb. 1, 2025, shows an assault amphibious vehicle being transported to the 4,900-ton Nojeokbong landing ship. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-multinational exercise

S. Korea's Navy, Marine Corps to take part in Cobra Gold drills in Thailand

SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Navy and Marine Corps will participate in an annual multinational exercise set to kick off in Thailand later this month, military officials said Saturday.

The Navy's 4,900-ton Nojeokbong landing ship carrying some 370 personnel departed for Thailand earlier in the day to join the Cobra Gold exercise, slated to take place in 11 regions in the country from Feb. 25 to March 7.

For the exercise led by the Thai and U.S. armed forces, the South Korean military plans to mobilize six assault amphibious vehicles, two K55 self-propelled howitzers and a K77 fire direction center vehicle.

The troops will take part in an array of field exercises, including amphibious landing drills with Thai, U.S. and Singapore troops, and joint naval operations.

The South Korean Marine Corps will also participate in the Cross Dock drills for the first time, during which Korean assault amphibious vehicles will be deployed to Singapore's amphibious transport dock.

The Cobra Gold drills will also include special operation drills, humanitarian civil assistance activities and cyber defense training.

Launched in 1982, the annual Cobra Gold exercise focuses on training multinational forces for a range of procedures aimed at stabilizing a region embroiled in a virtual armed conflict.

South Korea has formally taken part in the exercise since 2010 after attending it as an observer from 2002 to 2009.

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