Members of a South Korean fleet salute during a ceremony at a naval base on the southern island of Jeju, May 31. Yonhap

A Korea-hosted multinational naval mine exercise kicked off in waters off the southern port city of Pohang on Tuesday, the Navy said, in an effort to sharpen combined capabilities for maritime security.

Launched in 2016, the annual exercise is set to run through Oct. 12. It involves the participation of the Navies from 10 countries, including the United States and Britain.

The exercise is designed to reinforce cooperation among the participating countries and help member nations of the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) familiarize themselves with the warfare environment on the Korean Peninsula, according to the Navy.

For the drills, the Korean Navy deployed eight vessels, including a 3,000-ton mine-laying ship and a 700-ton minesweeper hunter, as well as P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft and UH-60 choppers. The U.S. Navy sent two minesweepers and mine hunting helicopters.

Participants plan to engage in a series of real-world drills on laying, detecting and removing mines.

"Mines pose a big threat not only to the deployment of naval forces but also to civilian vessels," a Seoul official said. "The multinational mine warfare exercise will serve as an important opportunity for the combined forces to enhance their capabilities to respond jointly to such a threat." (Yonhap)