It looks like the Korean peninsula is going to be seeing a heavier US Marine Corps presence in the future as military cooperation between the ROK & US Marine Corps expands:

South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps will increase joint exercises and strengthen measures for defending the islands near the northern limit line in the West Sea.

On Thursday, Commander of the South Korean Marines Lt. Gen. Lee Ho-yeon and U.S. Marine Corps in Korea Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Regner confirmed that the two forces will conduct the largest joint landing exercise in 23 years during the first half of 2012 as agreed last year.

The exercise will combine the joint brigade-level landing exercise and the U.S. marines’ Korea Marine Exercise Program.

In addition, Lee and Regner also discussed plans for increasing Korean Marine Corps’ involvement in multinational exercises.

Plans discussed include expanding Korean Marine Corps involvement in the U.S.-led multinational Cobra Gold Exercise to battalion-level units, and sending a platoon to take part in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise for the first time in the Korean Marine Corps’ history.   [Korea Herald]