Koreans join Cobra Gold drill

South Korean soldiers jump off an amphibious assault vehicle during a Cobra Gold military exercise on Hat Yao beach in Chon Buri on Saturday. (AP Photo)

SATTAHIP: Troops from South Korea on Saturday joined their Thai and US counterparts in an amphibious vehicle landing drill as part of Southeast Asia's largest multinational military exercise.

The 300 soldiers from South Korea who joined 2,000 US Marines and Thai soldiers in Chon Buri made up the largest contingent participating from the country since it first took part in Cobra Gold in 2010. Their presence comes at a time when tensions are particularly high on the Korean Peninsula.

"Our friends in the Republic of Korea, South Koreans, we stand by them. We work with them," said Gen Robert Neller, commandant of the US Marine Corps. "We are allies. We continue to coordinate and keep pressure on [North Korea]. Hopefully through diplomatic means we would be able to come to some successful resolution of the problem."

A total of 11,075 service members from 29 countries are taking part in this year's exercise, with Thailand, the US, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia the seven main participants. There are 6,800 US troops attending the exercise.

Ships taking part in Saturday's exercise included the US amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard and the South Korean landing ship Cheon Ja Bong.

The week-long exercise, centred around the Sattahip Royal Thai Marine Corps Base in Chon Buri, includes humanitarian components such as evacuation drills, as well as traditional military exercises such as the amphibious landing.

The aims of the exercise are to enhance security cooperation, develop peacekeeping forces and maintain readiness for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions.