South Korea and the United States began yesterday their biggest joint military drills in the last five years, despite threats from North Korea, which announced hours earlier that it had fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine.

Pyongyang has pointed out that the launch was aimed at testing its nuclear deterrent capabilities, while criticizing the 11-day Freedom Shield exercises.

North Korea announced that the two strategic cruise missiles accurately hit their predesignated target in the Eastern Sea of ​​Korea after traveling 1,500 kilometers, the KCNA news agency reported.

These launches were aimed at proving North Korea’s determination to control the situation in which, according to KCNA, the American imperialists and their puppets, the South Korean forces, are overtly advancing their military training against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

South Korea’s Army General Staff said it observed the launch on Sunday of at least one non-identified missile from a North Korean submarine.

Also read: North Korea | Pyongyang confirms it has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile

Joint military drills

Freedom Shield military drills provide exercises to repel any North Korean attacks and to carry out a stabilization operation in North Korea, the South Korean Army explained.

At the same time, it was emphasized that these military drills are defensive and based on a joint operational plan. Such military drills infuriate Pyongyang as it sees them as a rehearsal for an invasion of its territory and it regularly warns that it will take overwhelming action in response.

In 2022, North Korea had declared its status as a nuclear power irreversible and conducted a record number of ballistic tests in violation of UN resolutions.

Washington has effectively recognized that North Korea will never give up its nuclear program, said Ahn Chan-il, director of the Global Institute of North Koreans Studies.

Also read: North and South Korea | Exchange of warning fire