海角大神

鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

South Korea began a five-day naval exercise Thursday near its disputed maritime border with North Korea in spite of the聽North's聽warnings of retaliation.

With 4,500 service members from all four branches of the military, this drill reportedly represents the nation鈥檚 largest antisubmarine training exercise ever. It is unusual for South Korea聽to independently conduct exercises of this scope without the involvement of the United States military.

The maneuvers are taking place off the peninsula's west coast where the South Korean warship the Cheonan was sunk in March, killing 46 sailors. A five-nation investigative team concluded in May that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine was responsible for the disaster, but so far the North has denied any involvement and refuses to apologize.

With tensions between the North and South steadily rising, the naval exercises represent a show of force that the South hopes will deter any military incursions from the North. The message appears to have , which called the training maneuvers a 鈥渄irect military invasion鈥� that infringed on the Communist nation鈥檚 鈥渞ight to self-defense,鈥� reports the BBC.

Coming less than two weeks after the South's Navy and Air Force conducted joint training exercises with the US off the peninsula's east coast, South Korean officials say that the current training exercise is purely defensive. They have 聽from the North, which has warned of 鈥減owerful physical retaliation,鈥� reports China鈥檚 state-run Xinhua news agency.

鈥淭he focus of the exercises is to 聽to the enemy's asymmetric provocations and also our joint operations capabilities,鈥� an official from the South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Yonhap news agency. 鈥淲e will not tolerate any kind of provocations by the enemy, and the drills will allow us to be fully prepared for combat.鈥�

The drills will take place near the Northern Limit Line that acts as the maritime border for the North and the South. It was established by the United Nations after the Korean War ended in 1953, but Pyongyang has refused to accept it, , reports Russia鈥檚 RTT News.

Although the military will conduct live fire drills over the course of the next five days, military officials have stressed that all guns will be fired south, away from the Northern Limit Line.

鈥淭he drills will be 聽in the West Sea. They will be staged on the ground, at sea and in the air,鈥� said Rear Adm. Kim Kyung-sik, the JCS's chief of operations, in an article in Korea鈥檚 Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

Meanwhile, China has expressed concern over the mounting tension on the Korean Peninsula, urging both sides to find a peaceful solution. With the current drills taking place so close to China in the Yellow Sea, the developing world superpower has expressed discomfort with the drills. China鈥檚 military announced that it will also be conducting five days of defensive naval training聽that it says are unrelated, but analysts say there is a connection.

鈥淐hina says the two are not related, but of course they are," Lee Jong-min, dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University, told 海角大神. 鈥淭hey are asserting their military powers," he adds.

China remains essential to containing the North Korean threat, say security analysts, and its support for new US sanctions on North Korea is "critical" to their efficacy, US special adviser for nonproliferation Robert Einhorn said Monday.