US-Korea Marine Corps Discuss Revival of 'Ssangryong Training' After 5 Years

Meeting with Commander for Coordination Meeting in Okinawa

Commander of the 1st Marine Division of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps holds a command cooperation meeting with the Commander of the 3rd Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa
Photo by U.S. Department of Defense

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The commander of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps 1st Division and the commander of the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Division met at a U.S. military base in Japan to discuss the revival of the Ssangryong Exercise after five years.

According to the military on the 30th, Im Seong-geun, commander of the ROK Marine Corps 1st Division, held a commanders' coordination meeting with Jay Burzer, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Division, at a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan, on the 28th.

The annual commanders' coordination meeting between the ROK Marine Corps 1st Division based in Pohang and the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Division stationed in Okinawa was held in person for the first time in three years since 2019. For the past two years, the meetings were conducted via video conference due to the spread of COVID-19.

The ROK Marine Corps 1st Division and the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Division have maintained close operational cooperation through joint ROK-U.S. Marine Corps exercises.

At this coordination meeting, they reportedly focused on discussing the large-scale joint amphibious landing exercise "Ssangryong Exercise," which is set to be revived next year after five years. The Ssangryong Exercise was conducted primarily by the ROK Marine Corps 1st Division and the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Division in Pohang until it was suspended after 2018.

A military official stated, "Strengthening joint ROK-U.S. Marine Corps exercises, including the Ssangryong Exercise, was a major topic at this Marine Corps commanders' coordination meeting."

Earlier, the ROK and the U.S. agreed to conduct the Ssangryong Exercise in March to April next year, and also decided to further activate the Korea Marine Corps Exercise Program (KMEP), a battalion-level or smaller joint exercise.