On Monday, the armed forces of South Korea commenced the multi-month annual defence exercises.
The defence exercises are being conducted in collaboration with many of the country’s agencies, including the government, the police and the fire service. The exercises aim to strengthen the comprehensive defence posture in the regions. In addition, this year, the exercises will focus on training for various emergency scenarios, such as drone attacks on energy facilities and other key national infrastructure.
The first phase of the Hwarang defence exercises began on Monday and will run for five days in the south-eastern city of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. The exercises will continue until November in other regions, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Hwarang exercises were first held in 1977 and are meant to assess the integrated defence posture between relevant agencies, including contingencies tailored to the participating regions.
