 South Korea's military on August 31 said it was conducting large-scale outdoor maneuver exercises as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills which South Korean and U.S. troops began last week. In footage provided by the Army, military tanks were seen holding outdoor firing drills during field training. The Army said it mobilized about 1,600 soldiers and 450 military equipment, including K-1A2 tank and K-9A1 self-propelled howitzers in the Pochon and Chorwon areas, near the border with the North during the five-day training that started Monday. South Korea and the U.S. are set to wrap up the Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises designed to enhance their joint responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats on Thursday. Pyongyang has long denounced the drills as a rehearsal for war.