 U.S. and South Korea have started joint military exercises. South Korea and the United States started their 11-day computer simulated freedom shield joint exercise. In response, Pyongyang disclosed its first-ever underwater cruise missile launches on Sunday, raising the curtain on military actions which it had repeatedly warned. Amid North Korea's accelerating military buildup, the freedom shield exercise continues for 11 days without a weekend break to enable South Korea and U.S. troops to enhance their combat readiness and combine defense posture under real-war conditions. Freedom shield presents real-world scenarios in light of ever-changing security environments including North Korea's advanced missile and nuclear capabilities as well as lessons from the war in Ukraine according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The combined military exercises are staged based on the South Korea-U.S. operation plans in order to defend South Korea from the invasion of North Korea and therefore the exercises are defensive in nature, said the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Colonel Lee Sung-jun said the South Korea-U.S. alliance will stage the freedom shield exercise without a hitch even though North Korea seeks to interrupt military exercises by conducting provocations such as missile launches. The freedom shield exercise covers every stage of war on the Korean peninsula including crisis management, transition to war and defending the peninsula from North Korean attacks. South Korean and U.S. troops also practice conducting counter-offensive operations and stabilizing the North Korean situation. North Korea's propaganda outlet Yuri Min-Zokiri said the ongoing freedom shield exercise shows an unprecedented extreme level of belligerence in terms of scale and exercise scenarios.