South Korean and US forces stage drills for reaction to possible ‘Hamas-style’ attack by North Korea

According to South Korea’s military on Friday, US and South Korean troops have begun live-fire drills this week in preparation for any “Hamas-style surprise artillery attacks” by North Korea.

Even while the two sides often practice live-fire and other tactics, there is a sense of urgency around this week’s drills because of the horrific and unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 people by Hamas militants. South Korea, which shares a heavily fortified border with its fiercest enemy, North Korea, expressed concerns about security following the incident.

According to South Korea’s military, 5,400 US and South Korean soldiers, 300 artillery pieces, 1,000 vehicles, and air force assets participated in the three-day shooting drills that started on Wednesday. As a response to “possible Hamas-style surprise attacks,” the exercises simulated strikes to “remove the origins of the enemy’s long-range artillery provocations at an early date.”

Although it has often threatened to use nuclear force in response to US-South Korean military drills, which it views as a “rehearsal for invasion,” North Korea has not replied to the most recent round of drills.

Seoul, which is located around 40–50 kilometers (25–30 miles) from the border, may be seriously threatened in the case of a confrontation by the North’s forward-deployed long-range artillery pieces, according to experts, which can fire up to 16,000 rounds per hour.

North Korean tensions

North Korea claims that because of the threat of a US and South Korean invasion, it was compelled to develop nuclear weapons. Even though Pyongyang is continuing to improve its nuclear weapons, it is still outgunned by the US and South Korean forces and is unlikely to use them first, despite its growing threats to do so.

Many experts say North Korea heightens tensions with its rivals to provide a pretext for expanding its nuclear arsenal and then uses the arms as leverage to wrest greater outside concessions. Pyongyang has conducted over 100 missile tests for ‘preparing’ against US-South Korean military drills.

Recently, Pyongyang again threatened nuclear action after the US deployed an aircraft carrier group to South Korea’s Busan port. The USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group arrived in the southeastern port of Busan after a naval exercise between the United States, Japan and South Korea earlier this month.

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