South Korea will launch next week an annual military drill aimed at deterring military threats posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here said Thursday.

The "Hoguk Exercise", to be conducted from Oct. 25 through Nov. 2 across the country, will involve the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the Marine Corps as they seek to improve interoperability.

Given the recent developments on the Korean peninsula, a special emphasis will be placed on drills aimed at deterring the DPRK's localized provocations and an all-out war between the two countries, the JCS said in a statement.

Pyongyang has railed at Seoul for its recent agreement with the United States that allows South Korea to develop ballistic missiles capable of striking all of the DPRK.

The Hoguk drill replaced in 1996 the Team Spirit exercise between South Korea and the U.S.. Some 500 U.S. troops reportedly plan to take part in the exercise this year. Endi

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