North Korea Launches Missile Tests in Protest of U.S.-South Korean Joint Military Exercises

South Korea and the United States began their largest joint military exercises in five years on Monday, despite North Korea’s recent missile tests in protest of the drills.

North Korea launched two missiles from a submarine in the Sea of Japan on Sunday, according to the state-run KCNA news agency. The missiles were launched in response to the joint military exercises, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had previously ordered his troops to be ready to repel.

The U.S.-South Korean drills are set to last 11 days and will include a variety of military exercises, such as field training operations and computer simulations. The exercises are intended to strengthen the two countries’ defense capabilities and maintain peace and security in the region.

North Korea has long viewed the joint military exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion, and the recent missile tests are seen as a sign that the country may conduct further provocative weapons testing activities during the drills.

The U.S. and South Korea have been conducting joint military exercises for decades, but the recent drills are the largest in five years. The two countries have vowed to continue to work together to maintain peace and security in the region.