North Korea Slams US-South Korea Drills as War Rehearsal
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- North Korea's Foreign Ministry called the upcoming U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield drills "a rehearsal for an aggressive war" on Friday, threatening "a new level of deterrent" against what it called heightened provocations
- The U.S. and South Korean militaries will begin their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises on Monday August 17, 2026, with both governments describing the training as defensive and aimed at countering North Korean threats
- Neighbours detected two ballistic missile launches off North Korea's east coast in the past week, which outside experts assess were likely meant to protest the drills or upgrade weapons systems
- Kim Jong Un has ignored U.S. and South Korean offers to resume diplomacy since his summitry with Donald Trump collapsed in 2019, focusing instead on expanding his nuclear and missile arsenals
- North Korea has supplied troops and ammunition to Russia for its war against Ukraine in exchange for economic and military assistance, while Kim has separately pushed to deepen ties with China
Why it matters: North Korea's pattern of using allied drills as a pretext for weapons tests signals another likely cycle of escalation before the August 17 Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises. Kim's continued supply of troops and ammunition to Russia in exchange for economic and military assistance gives Pyongyang a sanctions-bypassing lifeline that reduces any incentive to return to denuclearization talks with Washington.
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