The South Korean Navy's 1st Fleet conducted a combined military exercise with the Army and related authorities to enhance the protection capabilities of Donghae port on the country's east coast.

The exercise that took place late Wednesday focused on how to protect the fleet's main naval base, located some 280 kilometers east of Seoul, as well as civilian port facilities. The simulation drill was held as part of the ongoing annual South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise Key Resolve, which kicked off on March 7, and mobilized some 300,000 local troops along with 17,000 U.S. forces.

The naval training was conducted with the participation of the Army's 23rd infantry division, Donghae Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, and related agencies of the port city, the Navy said.

It began with the discovery via CCTV of enemy special forces infiltrating the civilian passenger terminal of Donghae port in a bid to destroy a cargo of sulfuric acid.

After communicating the emergency to other authorities, the Donghae regional maritime office dispatched its own police force to help deal with the simulated North Korean threat.

The exercise successfully ended when the combat-ready forces of the naval fleet and mobile strike force of the Army completely suppressed the infiltration force.

According to a Navy officer, the fleet has increased its capability to cope with enemy infiltration attempts over recent years.

"We will establish a comprehensive protection posture by continuing to beef up training," said Kim Chang-bin, the chief of the navy fleet's base warfare unit. He said this will allow the Navy to deal effectively with a diverse range of threats. (Yonhap)