Army conducts 1st live-fire drills involving cluster bombs

The Army has conducted live-fire drills involving cluster munitions to strengthen its firepower, officials said, in what marked the first such exercise using the weapons that are banned in parts of the world due to humanitarian concerns.

Units under the Army's 3rd Corps mobilized some 150 troops to take part in the nighttime firing drills conducted in the coastal area of Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the armed service.

The Army also deployed some 30 pieces of equipment, including the K9A1 and K55A1 self-propelled howitzer and the K77 armored vehicle.

During the exercise, the Army launched dual-purpose base-bleed high explosives, which are a type of dual-purpose improved conventional munition that can penetrate the enemy's mechanized equipment and communications facilities.

Such weapons, which scatter submunitions, are banned in 112 countries that have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) adopted in 2008. Both South Korea and North Korea have not signed the convention, alongside the United States, China and Russia.

Critics say cluster bombs can cause casualties for both troops and civilians as they can indiscriminately spread over a large area and remain undetected with the risk of detonation.

In the face of a controversy surrounding the use of cluster munitions, the Army said drills were aimed at enhancing its readiness posture against the enemy's firing power.