Army stages live-fire air defense drills near inter-Korean border
A K30 Biho anti-aircraft vehicle fires live rounds during three-day live-fire air defense drills that began on April 30 in Goseong County, Gangwon Province, in this photo provided by the Army, May 2. Yonhap
South Korean soldiers conducted live-fire air defense drills near the inter-Korean border this week as part of efforts to maintain readiness against North Korean drone threats, the Army said Friday.
The three-day exercise began Wednesday in a coastal area in the border county of Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, involving some 130 troops and eight anti-aircraft vehicles, including the K30 Biho and the K30W Chunho, according to the Army.
The drills took place with a focus on detecting and intercepting aerial targets simulating North Korean drones, with troops firing some 600 rounds per minute from the anti-aircraft system's 30 millimeter guns to take them down.
The military has recently focused on bolstering counter-drone capabilities after five North Korean drones crossed the border into South Korea in December 2022. It failed to intercept any of them, including one that entered Seoul's airspace.