Seoul kicked off its annual Hoguk defence drills on Monday, designed to boost its ability to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats amid soaring tension over both sides. The drills, due to end on Saturday, are the latest in a series of military exercises by South Korea in recent weeks, including joint activities with the United States and Japan.

The latest field training came after North Korea carried out its weapons tests at an unprecedented pace this year, firing a short-range ballistic missile and hundreds of artillery rounds near the heavily armed inter-Korean border on Friday.

North Korea has angrily reacted to the South Korean and joint military activities, claiming them provocative and threatening countermeasures. Whereas South Korea says, its exercises are regular and defence-oriented.

Not long ago, tensions flared after Pyongyang fired a missile, shot more than 500 artillery shells and flew many fighter jets near the skirmish-prone sea border.

South Korea condemned North Korea and imposed its first unilateral sanctions in nearly five years, claiming the moves a violation of a 2018 bilateral military pact banning “hostile acts” in the border area. While Pyongyang accused Seoul’s military of escalating tension with its artillery firing.

According to South Korean lawmakers, the North has completed preparations for what would be its first nuclear test since 2017. It might exercise it between China’s key ruling Communist Party congress, which began on Sunday, and the November 7 US midterm elections. But some analysts do not expect any tests before the Chinese congress ends.