Navy to hold civil-military antiterrorism drills on eastern island

A joint antiterrorism exercise involving the military, civilians, government and police will be held later Thursday on Korea's eastern Ulleung Island as part of the ongoing combined exercise with the United States, the Navy said.

The Navy's 1st Fleet Command, responsible for maritime defense in the East Sea, will conduct the drills at a port on Ulleung Island in the East Sea, the armed service said in a statement.

The drills will simulate a scenario where terrorists attack a passenger terminal and threaten a ferry, aiming to test swift multi-agency coordination and enhance integrated defense capabilities, the Navy said.

The drills come as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise taking place this week. The UFS, a flagship theater-level exercise annually carried out by Korean and U.S. forces, also includes civilian drills involving relevant agencies, such as firefighters, medical personnel and police.

Also on Thursday, the Navy and the Marine Corps will hold a joint exercise simulating a chemical missile attack at a naval base on the southern island of Jeju, the Navy said.

The training will cover procedures including issuing air raid alerts, evacuating personnel and assessing contaminated areas, it added.

Yonhap