SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea mobilized(调动) troops, tanks, helicopters and fighter jets for its largest-ever wintertime military drills(军演) Thursday, a show of force that comes a month after North Korea's deadly shelling(炮击) of a front-line island.
The drills, set to begin Thursday afternoon at training grounds in mountainous Pocheon near the Koreas' heavily fortified(加强的) border(边界), signaled South Korea's determination to demonstrate and hone(使更尖锐) its military strength at the risk of further escalation(扩大，加剧) with North Korea.
Jeeps wove their way up a winding(蜿蜒的) road to the military base(军事基地), passing armed soldiers and a ski resort(度假胜地) where skiers and snowboarders(玩滑雪板的人) were enjoying fresh snowfall. A thick fog hung over the area.
Exactly one month ago, routine South Korean live-fire drills(实弹演习) from Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea triggered(触发) a shower of North Korean artillery(炮弹) that killed two marines and two construction workers. It was the first military attack on a civilian(平民百姓) area since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce.
North Korea, which claims the waters around the South Korean-held island lying just 7 miles (11 kilometers) from its shores as its territory, accused the South of sparking the exchange by ignoring Pyongyang's warnings against staging(举行) the live-fire drills near their disputed(富有争议的) maritime border.