The U.S. and South Korea launched their largest round of joint military drills in years on Monday.
North Korea responded by conducting tests of what it said were "strategic" missiles fired from a submarine.
The joint drills mark the largest combined training operation between U.S. and South Korean forces since 2018.
- The operation is expected to take place over a period of 11 days and will include joint field training exercises and a computer simulation.
- North Korean state media said Pyongyang launched two "strategic" cruise missiles from a submarine to demonstrate the country's resolve to use “overwhelmingly powerful” force against its enemies.
- The test revealed North Korea's ability to strike Japan, as well as U.S. bases in Okinawa and possibly Guam, according to Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
The U.S. has bolstered its military activity on the Korean peninsula following a dramatic uptick in North Korean missile tests last year.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country's drills were a response to U.S. and South Korean training exercises, which he called “frantic war preparation moves.”
