The South Korean Navy and the Marine Corps said Friday they plan to kick off a large-scale joint landing exercise later this week to bolster preparations against North Korea's provocations.

   The six-day amphibious landing exercise starting Saturday will take place on the southeast coast of the Korean Peninsula as part of the military's ongoing annual war exercise of Hoguk (national protection), which involves all branches of service, according to officers. 

   The landing drill will involve some 1,200 Marines and 20 vessels, including the 14,500-ton amphibious Dokdo ship and the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer, as well as some 40 aircraft from the army, the navy and the air force, they noted.

   "The scale of this year's landing drill is larger than before in consideration of the growing security threats posed by North Korea," said a Navy officer, requesting anonymity.

   "Our goal is to boost our defense posture against the communist country's possible regional provocations and all-out war," he added.

   In a move to boost joint capabilities with the U.S., the drill also includes a maneuver by the MH-53 U.S. helicopter to land on and take off from the Dokdo ship, according to the Navy.

   "The exercise is expected to boost the South Korean military's capabilities of launching landing operations on its own and to enhance interoperability and coordination among the different branches of the military," the Navy said in a statement.

   North Korea has bashed South Korea for staging the Hoguk exercise, claiming that the drill is tantamount to an invasion into the North.  (Yonhap)