Military might on display in South Korea
- 12 years ago
(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)
South Korea celebrated its 64th Army Day on Tuesday (September 25) amid tensions with its neighbour North Korea.
Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin reviewed the troops as about 14,000 civilians and war veterans, along with soldiers and marines, attended the ceremony in Gyeryong, south of Seoul.
More than 50 planes performed stunts in the sky and about 400 special armed forces displayed their martial arts skills.
Seoul's Yonhap News agency reported on Saturday (September 22) that North Korea threatened military action after South Korean navy patrol boats fired warning shots to repel several North Korean fishing boats that violated the western sea border.
The two Koreas are still technically at war and station about one million troops near their respective sides of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that has divided the peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a ceasefire, but not a peace treaty.
The United Nations Command (UNC), led by U.S. forces, has about 30,000 troops on the Korean peninsula supporting South Korea's 600,000 soldiers.
The South Korean army usually celebrates the founding anniversary on October 1. But this year, as it overlaps the Korean traditional Thanksgiving Day holiday, they pushed the celebrations forward to Tuesday instead.
South Korea celebrated its 64th Army Day on Tuesday (September 25) amid tensions with its neighbour North Korea.
Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin reviewed the troops as about 14,000 civilians and war veterans, along with soldiers and marines, attended the ceremony in Gyeryong, south of Seoul.
More than 50 planes performed stunts in the sky and about 400 special armed forces displayed their martial arts skills.
Seoul's Yonhap News agency reported on Saturday (September 22) that North Korea threatened military action after South Korean navy patrol boats fired warning shots to repel several North Korean fishing boats that violated the western sea border.
The two Koreas are still technically at war and station about one million troops near their respective sides of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that has divided the peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a ceasefire, but not a peace treaty.
The United Nations Command (UNC), led by U.S. forces, has about 30,000 troops on the Korean peninsula supporting South Korea's 600,000 soldiers.
The South Korean army usually celebrates the founding anniversary on October 1. But this year, as it overlaps the Korean traditional Thanksgiving Day holiday, they pushed the celebrations forward to Tuesday instead.