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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff have yet to confirm the type of weapon launched or its trajectory.
Historically, North Korea has labeled the joint military exercises by the allies as practice for an invasion, often using them as a justification to ramp up its own military activities or weapons tests.
The recent launch follows a warning from Kim Jong Un’s influential sister, who, earlier this week, criticized the United States and South Korea for continuing their drills amidst heightened global tensions. She cautioned that any threat to North Korea’s sovereignty would lead to “terrible consequences.”
The Freedom Shield exercise, scheduled to run for 11 days until March 19, is part of the annual set of command post exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korean militaries.
These predominantly computer-based drills aim to evaluate the allies’ coordinated operational abilities, integrating various evolving military scenarios and security challenges.
Freedom Shield will be accompanied by a field training program called Warrior Shield.
North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program.
Kim has made Russia the priority of his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.
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