South Korea’s military will conduct maritime live-fire drills off Bangnyeong and Yeonpyeong Islands near the tense inter-Korean sea border on Thursday as part of the regular training schedule, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.

The command dedicated to protecting the northwestern border islands will carry out the exercise, which will be the third of its kind this year following one in March and another in May.

“This is part of the regular training aimed at establishing firm military readiness in our territorial waters and enhancing our troops’ firing skills,” JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Bung-woo told reporters.

Staff from the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission will observe the exercise using military weapons including K-9 self-propelled howitzers, Lee added. The military has already notified residents of the frontline islands, which have been under a continuing North Korean military threat.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)