S. Korean-US joint military drills kicked off

The United States and South Korea on Monday kicked off their major annual joint military drills, the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. The new exercises aimed at containing the nuclear-armed North, including fighting cyber-attacks. In Seoul, the city government will be simultaneously conducting civil defence exercises designed to better prepare for any future trash balloons, as well as North Korean drone attacks.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the exercise runs until August 29, with drills this year set to reflect realistic threats across all domains, including from North Korean missiles and GPS jamming. The exercises will boost the allies' capability and posture to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction, the military added.