"Freedom Shield" Exercises Likely To Prompt DPRK Response

The US and Republic of Korea militaries will hold their largest joint exercises in five years, the “Freedom Shield,” from March 13 or March 23.

• Politico reports that, “The announcement comes as the United States sent a long-range B-1B bomber to the Korean Peninsula in a show of force against North Korea. In the past, Pyongyang has called similar actions as a rehearsal for invasion, vowing to take “unprecedentedly” strong action against the adversaries.”
• South Korea's Ministry of Defence said in a statement: "Freedom Shield is designed to strengthen defence and response capabilities of the Alliance by focusing within the exercise scenario on things such as the changing security environment, DPRK aggression and lessons learned from recent wars and conflicts."
• The Diplomat writes: "The North has threatened to take “unprecedently” strong action against such exercises. It’s likely that it will respond to the upcoming training with missile tests because it views it as an invasion rehearsal."