North Korea threatens to exercise self-defense as it slams US-South Korea military drills

North Korea threatened to exercise its right to self-defense after calling the upcoming U.S.-South Korean military drills a "rehearsal for an aggressive war." The U.S. and South Korean militaries stated that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are defensive and aim to strengthen their readiness against threats. Analysts noted that North Korea has often used such tensions as a pretext to ramp up weapons testing while also deepening ties with Russia and China.