(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. flaunt combined artillery power in open-to-public joint drill

(ATTN: UPDATES with comments by Park)

POCHEON, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States performed a joint war simulation on Friday involving live-fire bombings and flights of combat jets in the latest show of joint force against North Korea.

The allies mobilized the biggest-ever number of troops, artillery pieces and military vehicles for this year's Integrated Firepower Exercise 2015, marking the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule in 1945.

Under the scenarios of a local attack and all-out aggression by North Korea, the forces fired off K-55 and K-9 self-propelled guns, recoilless guns, and Vulcan automatic cannons at mock enemy camps in a remote drill field in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, near the border with North Korea.

A host of KF-16, F-15K and F-4 fighter jets were also flown to bombard mock enemy command facilities, with A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft, tanks and machine guns spreading a barrage of shells and rockets.

South Korean officials said the deployed weapons and vehicles would have been deployed to the front-line if the recent inter-Korean tensions had escalated into a military clash.

The two Koreas narrowly averted a military confrontation earlier this week as they reached a breakthrough deal to defuse tensions.

Inter-Korean tensions had sharply escalated after the countries had a rare exchange of live-fire over the border on Aug. 20, over South Korea's border-area propaganda broadcasts critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his political regime.

Seoul launched the psychological warfare on Aug. 10 in retaliation for the North's land mine attack that maimed two South Korean soldiers earlier this month.

First launched in 1977, the Integrated Firepower Exercise is meant to show off the allies' combined artillery power against North Korea.

This year's exercise is the eighth of its kind with the previous one held in 2012.

About 2,000 South Korean and U.S. troops from 47 military units joined the drill, which featured South Korea's newly deployed high-tech weaponry like K-2 tanks, K-21 armored vehicles, Surion choppers and FA-50 Fighting Eagle combat jets, as well as a multi-launch rocket system.

About 12,000 government officials, civilians, foreign military attaches and security experts, including President Park Geun-hye, observed the live-fire artillery exercise.

"I have learned how we could deal sternly with the enemy's provocations and gained confidence that we could win against the enemy," said Lt. Col. Huh Jin-young, a tank battalion commander of the Army 8th Division, during the exercise.

Separately, Park met with about 80 soldiers who delayed their discharge from the military during the recent tensions with North Korea. Park told them that all South Koreans "were deeply moved" by their decision.

"People are very proud of you," Park said as she shook hands with some of them after the end of the drill. "I hope that you will make excellent contributions to society."

pbr@yna.co.kr
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