To be involved in the drill which will reportedly last till Nov. 2 will be more than 240,000 troops of the three services, marine corps, police, reserve army, etc., which is an unusually increased number.

It also sees the participation of the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces.

The drill envisages over 700 sorties of the naval force and deployment of more than 60 warships.

Its purpose is to strengthen the capability of carrying out coordinated operations in sky, land and sea to cope with someone's "local provocations" and an overall war.

The south Korean warmongers declared the drill would involve different exercises under the simulated conditions of a real war.

They include an exercise of carrying out corps-level operations, an exercise of joint anti-air and offense formations to counter large-scale air raid threats, a combined defense exercise and a joint landing exercise.