ROK, US hold massive live-fire drill

SEOUL - Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States staged their largest-ever live-fire drill on Friday amid lingering tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The one-day exercise in Pocheon, northeast of Seoul, involved fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters, armored vehicles and some 2,000 troops.

ROK's defense ministry said in a statement that the drill was aimed at checking solid military preparedness and war- fighting capabilities against enemy provocation.

The joint drill, presided over by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, saw the participation of an airborne early warning and control aircraft called "Peace Eye" and T/A-50 light attack aircraft for the first time.

The drill came amid persistent tensions on the peninsula, following a failed long-range rocket launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in April.

The ROK army's K-9 self-propelled guns attend a live-fire exercise of ROK and US armed forces in Pocheon, June 19, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

ROK's soldiers of the special forces parachute from a CN-235 aircraft during a live-fire exercise of ROK and US armed forces in Pocheon, June 19, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]