South Korea's military says North Korea has fired several ballistic missiles into the sea. The launch Monday happened hours after South Korean and U.S. troops kicked off their large annual combined drills,

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles on Monday, hours after condemning the South Korean and U.S. militaries for launching drills that Pyongyang called a "dangerous provocative act" that risked accidentally sparking a confrontation.

North Korea has fired several ballistic missiles as South Korea and the United States initiated military drills. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday that North Korea’s fifth launch event this year fired several missiles off the west coast into the sea.

North Korea has traditionally called for US-South Korea joint exercises to be called off, branding them as a prelude to invasion. The South Korean military has said the joint drills aim to strengthen the readiness of the alliance for threats such as North Korea.

North Korea launched several ballistic missiles toward the Yellow Sea on Monday afternoon, Seoul's military said, on the first day of a large-scale joint U.S-South Korea military exercise on the Peninsula.

South Korea and the U.S. paused live-fire training during Freedom Shield exercises after a South Korean fighter jet bombing incident injured 30 civilians. The drill has been criticized by North Korea,

South Korea and the US commenced their annual joint military exercises, halting live-fire drills following a mishap where two South Korean jets accidentally bombed a civilian area. North Korea criticized the exercise as a provocative act that heightens military conflict risks.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, South Korea’s military said, hours after South Korean and U.S. troops kicked off their large annual combined drills, which the North views as an invasion rehearsal.

South Korean and U.S. militaries halted all live-fire exercises across South Korea after South Korean jets mistakenly released bombs on a civilian area.

South Korea suspended the training flights of air force aircraft and all live-fire drills following its fighter jets’ accidental bombing of a civilian area, officials said, posing a potential setback to its upcoming annual military training with the United States.