South Korean and US forces will launch their annual joint military exercises next week as the allies seek to strengthen their readiness against potential threats from North Korea.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are scheduled to begin next Monday and run for 11 days, South Korean military officials said.
US-Korea military drills
The drills will be similar in scale to previous years, with around 18,000 South Korean troops expected to take part, military spokesperson Jang Do-young told reporters on Monday.
The announcement came just days after North Korea resumed its ballistic missile testing, in defiance of United Nations restrictions prohibiting such launches.
The annual exercises are designed to improve the allies’ combined defense capabilities and readiness in response to potential North Korean military actions.
The summer exercises are one of two major joint military drills held annually by South Korea and the United States, alongside their spring training.
The US military said Ulchi Freedom Shield will combine live exercises with virtual, constructive and field-based training.
North Korea has yet to issue an immediate response to the announcement.
Pyongyang has long condemned large-scale US-South Korean military exercises, portraying them as preparations for an invasion and often responding with weapons tests and harsh rhetoric.
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Credible allied defense
Seoul and Washington, however, maintain that their joint military drills are defensive and intended to strengthen their ability to respond to potential threats.
The announcement also comes shortly after North Korea resumed its ballistic missile activities.
Last Thursday, South Korea, the US and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile from North Korea.
The launch marked the North’s first reported ballistic weapons test since late June. The missile traveled toward the country’s eastern waters before landing off North Korea’s east coast.
South Korea and Japan denounced the missile launch, calling it a provocation and a security threat.
They noted that several United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities.
The US Pacific Command also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to protecting the American homeland and supporting the defense of its allies and partners in the region.
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Wendellyn Mateo 
Maybelene Marcelino