By Saadet Gokce
ISTANBUL - South Korean and US military officials held talks Tuesday, as Seoul carried out live-fire drills near the inter-Korean border for the first time since 2017.
Artillery units fired at targets inside a US training zone on Monday, marking a return to exercises suspended under a 2018 military agreement aimed at reducing tensions. The drills resumed after the deal was nullified in June following North Korea’s mass release of propaganda balloons, the South Korean Army said.
The training took place near the Imjin River in Paju, roughly 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northwest of Seoul. Units deployed 12 K9A1 and six K55A1 self-propelled howitzers, firing around 60 rounds at targets in the Story Live Fire Complex.
Separately, senior officers from both countries met via video call to review bilateral military cooperation, Yonhap News reported, citing an army statement.
Acting South Korean Army Chief of Staff General Ko Chang-jun and US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Ronald Clark discussed increasing high-level exchanges and joint drills to reinforce their combined defense posture.
The generals also emphasized the need for regional multilateral security efforts to counter North Korea and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the Indo-Pacific.
The high-level engagement comes as South Korea faces tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Last month, Washington and Seoul signed a memorandum of understanding to resume use of the US-operated training range.