Wonju: South Korean officials announced the deployment of new, advanced guided missiles capable of striking North Korean long-range artillery pieces hidden in caves.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the North Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM), nicknamed the "Long-Range Artillery Killer," has been under development since North Korea's 2010 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, which killed two workers and two marines. A ceremony was held to mark the deployment of these missiles at the Army Strategic Missile Command in Wonju, about 85 kilometers east of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

This advanced missile is expected to enhance the military's operational capabilities and strengthen the country's main deterrent system, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. On another front, the Marine Corps announced that it conducted live-fire drills on islands near the maritime border between the two Koreas in the Yellow Sea.

According to the Northwest Island Defense Command, the drills, which involved K9 self-propelled howitzers, took place on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong Islands near the Northern Limit Line. During the drills, the troops fired approximately 100 rounds into the water.

The Marine Corps explained in a statement: "These drills are annual defensive exercises conducted in South Korean waters south of the Northern Limit Line and involved K9 self-propelled howitzers." This marks the first use of this type of howitzer in nearly three months and the fourth such exercise this year.