South Korea, U.S. begin joint military drills amid North Korea threat

South Korea and the United States began a joint large-scale military exercise on Monday aimed at bolstering their defense and preparedness against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which will last for 11 days until Aug. 31, will include about 30 field training events based on an all-out war scenario, according to an official from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The number of drills this year will exceed those in previous joint military exercises.The exercise comes as South Korea, the United States and Japan remain on alert over…READ FULL ARTICLE