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US, South Korea start major joint military drills on Korean peninsula

The exercises involve 500 South Korean and 1,700 US marines

South Korean army soldiers AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

South Korean army soldiers

© AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

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SEOUL, March 19. /TASS/. South Korean and US marines have started major joint military drills on the Korean peninsula, a representative of South Korea's military command said Thursday.

The exercises involve 500 South Korean and 1,700 US marines from Okinawa. It takes place on the south-eastern coast of South Korea, in the area of Osan and south of Seoul. After the drills are over, the two countries plan to train landing operations in an exercise known as Ssangyong, taking place from March 28 through to April 1 and involving up to 1,000 US and 3,000 South Korean marines, as well as three US landing ships.

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