New naval contingency unit conducts 1st warfare drill

South Korea's new naval contingency unit is conducting a warfare exercise in the West Sea in its first stand-alone military drill aimed at fending off North Korea's potential aggression, the military said Wednesday.

"The quick reaction unit is carrying out an exercise in the West Sea area from May 5-11," the Marine Corps said in a statement.

This is the first exercise conducted by the some 4,000-strong contingency team comprised of Marine Corps and Navy troops.

The unit was launched in March to carry out operations in South Korea's coastal areas, including strike missions on North Korea's key military facilities in the event of conflict.

The on-going exercise is being led under the scenario of North Korea's terrorists launching an attack on South Korean military installations in Pyeongtaek, a west-coastal city located 70 kilometers south of Seoul where United States Forces Korea's also has a new headquarters, according to the statement.

Upon North Korea's hypothetical terrorist attack on a national LNG fueling base in Pyeongtaek, the South Korean troops are dispatched to the scene to deal with the threat.

The exercise also involved the operations commands of the Air Force, other naval units, the police and firefighters, it said.

Previously, the unit has participated in the joint U.S.-South Korea amphibious drill, Ssangyong, in March as well as an Army exercise and a multilateral drill. (Yonhap)