S. Korea plans more live-fire drills

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- South Korean officials said they will conduct a massive ground and air live-fire drill Thursday as a deterrent to possible North Korean provocations.

Officials said the army's live-fire exercises, planned for a range in Pocheon, near the North Korean border, will feature K-9 self-propelled guns, multiple-launch rocket systems, anti-aircraft guns, attack helicopters and six air force jets, Yonhap news agency reported.

On Wednesday, the navy began firing exercises in waters off the east coast that included six naval ships and antisubmarine helicopters, the South Korean news agency said. The drills end Friday.

A defense official in Seoul said no overt military reaction from North Korea was noted, The New York Times said.

The official also said no unusual movements by North Korean troops have been observed since Tuesday's lighting of a Christmas "tree" on a South Korean peak overlooking a North Korean village along the DMZ. A choir wearing red scarves and Santa hats sang Christmas carols while guarded by marines, the official said.

The "tree" -- a metal tower with lights and a cross -- hasn't been lit since 2003 when Seoul agreed not to light it, and suspended loudspeaker broadcasts and propaganda literature drops because North Korea said the actions were provocative. Pyongyang also said it would fire across the border to destroy the loudspeakers if the broadcasts resumed.