U.S. military to hold civilian evacuation drill in Korea

The Focused Passage training will take place from April 16-20, when South Korean and U.S. troops stage a massive combined combat exercise called Foal Eagle, according to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.

It's aimed at ensuring U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) service members and families are prepared to evacuate designated noncombatants in case of a conflict on the peninsula.

Around 200,000 American civilians are said to reside in Korea.

The U.S. military conducts such a noncombatant evacuation practice twice a year, with the other drill code-named Courageous Channel held in the fall.

North Korea has suspended its provocative acts, seeking to hold an inter-Korean summit and denuclearization talks with the U.S.

But the USFK wants to maintain not only combat readiness but also the capability of evacuating designated civilians here in the event of a crisis.

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