Landing vehicles of South Korea's Marine Corps drive on a road in Incheon, west of Seoul as part of the Hoguk exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps against North Korea's possible provocations in this Oct. 27, 2021 file photo. Yonhap

Korea's military is keeping close tabs on North Korea's movements and maintaining an emergency response posture amid concerns of additional provocations during an ongoing defense exercise in the South, an official here said Monday.

The annual Hoguk drills kicked off earlier in the day after a series of provocations by the North in recent weeks, including the firing of a short-range ballistic missile Friday.

"Comprehensively assessing the recent situations, we are closely tracking and monitoring (the North's) related movements and maintaining a firm readiness posture," said Col. Kim Jun-rak, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), at a regular briefing. "The exercise will be carried out in a substantive way with a focus on maintaining the preparedness and enhancing joint operational capabilities."

This year's training, set to run until Oct. 28, is aimed mainly at improving the military's capabilities to carry out peacetime and wartime missions by simulating various threats from the North, including those involving its nuclear arms and missiles, according to the JCS. (Yonhap)