Ranking officers of the South Korean and the US Marine Corps are holding strategic discussions for the first time on Baengnyeong Island near the northwestern maritime border until Friday.

A South Korean marine officer said that this round of discussions display the two nations’ intent to sternly and jointly respond to any provocation by North Korea on the South Korea's northeastern islands, which are near the inter-Korean maritime border.

U.S. officers from the Marine Corps Forces Pacific and the III Marine Expeditionary Force participated in the talks with the South.

The marines from both nations are discussing the schedule of military drills on the border islands. They also addressed various other issues, including reconnaissance, military camps and training ground conditions.

The meeting also discussed the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea.