North Korea tests a multiple launch rocket system in this image released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, March 19, 2024. (KCNA)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — North Korea launched several ballistic missiles off its western coast on Monday, coinciding with the start of Freedom Shield, an annual large-scale military exercise conducted by the United States and South Korea.

The missiles were fired toward the Yellow Sea at around 1:50 p.m., according to a text message sent to reporters by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. No further details were immediately available.

The launches mark North Korea’s first ballistic missile test in nearly two months. In January, the regime fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles that traveled roughly 155 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea. On Feb. 26, it launched several cruise missiles that flew approximately 990 miles in a circular flight pattern off its western coast.

Pyongyang has framed its missile tests as a response to joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea, which it views as a provocation. On Sunday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning Freedom Shield and warning that the exercise would spur the “radical growth” of its nuclear arsenal.

U.S. and South Korean soldiers carry out a wet-gap crossing during last year's Freedom Shield exercise in Paju, South Korea. (Chin-U Pak/U.S. Army)

The ministry, through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, described Freedom Shield as an “aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal.”

“All the facts go to clearly show the multi-domain and all-round offensive nature of Freedom Shield,” the statement said. “Obviously, the U.S. intends to push the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the region to an uncontrollable phase …”

The ministry warned that the exercise would “inevitably lead to a serious strategic misjudgment” and prompt “the radical growth of the nuclear force.”

The statement came a day after KCNA reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location. The vessel, if completed, would represent a significant step for a navy that has traditionally relied on diesel-powered submarines.

“We should ensure that incomparably threatening warships fulfill their mission as … a nuclear power, capable of containing the inveterate ‘gunboat diplomacy’ of the hostile forces,” KCNA said.

The U.S. and South Korean militaries have repeatedly described Freedom Shield as defensive drills designed to reinforce their security posture. It is the first of two major exercises held annually on the Korean Peninsula, with the second, Ulchi Freedom Shield, scheduled for August.

Roughly 19,000 South Korean troops will participate in Freedom Shield on land, air and sea, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. U.S. Forces Korea, which oversees 28,500 American service members in the country, does not disclose its troop participation numbers, citing operational security.

The start of Freedom Shield was preceded by an incident that prompted a halt to live-fire training in South Korea. About an hour before the exercise was formally announced on Thursday, two South Korean air force KF-16 fighter jets accidentally released eight MK-82 free-fall bombs outside of a practice range in Pocheon, a city near the North Korean border.

The mishap injured 14 South Korean troops and 15 civilians.

South Korea’s air force attributed the accident to pilot error after a preliminary investigation, according to a statement released Friday.

Gen. Lee Youngsu, the air force chief of staff, apologized for the incident and took full responsibility during a press conference at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul on Monday.

This “should never have happened,” he said.

In response, U.S. and South Korean military officials suspended all live-fire training “until further notice,” USFK spokesman Col. Ryan Donald said in an email Friday.

“The safety of the local community, U.S. and [South Korean] personnel is our top priority,” he said. “We take this incident very seriously.”