The Republic of Korea (RoK) on Dec. 23 began large-scale drills involving fighter jets and artillery guns near its land border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

he joint drills between the Army and the Air Force at a firing range in Pocheon, 40 kilometres northeast of Seoul and 25 kilometres south of the mainland border, are part of regular winter exercises, yet the largest one of its kind.

Aimed at testing fire power, the exercises mobilised some 800 soldiers along with different kinds of weapons including missiles, fighter jets and helicopters.

Earlier, the RoK began four-day drills in waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, starting on Dec. 22, two days after it conducted a live-fire exercise near a tense border that involved navy vessels and Lynx helicopters, according to Xinhua news agency./.