South Korea on Thursday conducted its first interagency field training exercise aimed at coping with potential hazards from space debris, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The exercise, organized by the JCS, was conducted at the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing, attended by relevant agencies, including the Korea Aerospace Administration and the National Fire Agency, officials said.

Under a scenario of space debris falling on South Korean territory, participating agencies and the military jointly detected and tracked the debris, and retrieved it after a radioactivity test.

Thursday's exercise marked the first training of its kind and came on the heels of a tabletop exercise conducted last year.

The JCS said it plans to strengthen its capabilities to detect and track space debris, and implement joint response measures against such risks. (Yonhap)