S. Korea holds naval drills in Yellow Sea as crisis escalates

28.05.2010 The South Korean Navy on Thursday started large-scale anti-submarine drills in the Yellow Sea as part of measures to counter any further attacks by North Korea, the Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Xinhua, the exercises involve about 10 warships, which practice live artillery firing and dropping anti-submarine depth charges.

Seoul is also planning to hold joint naval drills with the United States off the west coast of the Korean peninsula in June to "enhance the defensive ability against the North", Xinhua said citing a S. Korean naval official.

Relations between North Korea and South Korea soured after Seoul accused Pyongyang of firing a torpedo from a submarine at the 1,200-ton South Korean Cheonan corvette. The vessel sank near the disputed Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea on March 26 causing the loss of 46 lives.

North Korea, angered by the accusations, declared earlier this week it was cutting all ties with Seoul and scrapping an agreement on preventing accidental naval clashes with South Korea.