Kim Jong Un orders heightened war readiness amid US-South Korean drills

Tensions Rise Amid , US-South Korea , Military Drills. 'Newsweek' reports that North Korea has issued a clear warning to the United States and South Korea in response to annual joint military exercises. . 'Newsweek' reports that North Korea has issued a clear warning to the United States and South Korea in response to annual joint military exercises. . On March 4, the U.S. and South Korea began Freedom Shield, prompting North Korea to carry out large-scale artillery drills along the country's western coast. On March 4, the U.S. and South Korea began Freedom Shield, prompting North Korea to carry out large-scale artillery drills along the country's western coast. The large-scale war drills staged by the world's biggest nuclear weapons state ... in the Korean Peninsula, where a nuclear war may be ignited even with a spark, can never be called 'defensive.', Korean Central News Agency, via 'Newsweek'. North Korea's long-range artillery display is meant to reinforce perception of the nation's formidable military capabilities. . The North Korean provocations that Kim Jong Un enjoys the most, and the South Korean military is most nervous about, are ballistic-missile and long- range-multiple-rocket-launcher fire. , Kim Minseok, research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, via 'Newsweek'. However, North Korea used 122 mm, 130 mm, 155 mm, [and] 220 mm field artillery and multiple rocket launchers in this drill—no large 400-plus mm multiple rocket launchers and short-range ballistic missiles. , Kim Minseok, research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, via 'Newsweek'. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff are closely monitoring North Korea's military activity amid the ongoing Freedom Shield joint military exercises. Reuters reports that this year's exercises involve twice the number of troops than previous iterations. North Korea's artillery fire drills are demonstrations to show off their numbers, not tactical exercises. Firing hundreds of field artillery pieces at once in a dense area only measures that they were fired. , Kim Minseok, research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, via 'Newsweek'. Modern artillery combat is more about firing accurately from a dispersed position, like the 'shoot and scoot' artillery tactic. , Kim Minseok, research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, via 'Newsweek'