North Korea holds artillery drills ahead of US-South Korea exercises

North Korea conducted large-scale artillery firing drills to strengthen its combat readiness and pre-war posture, state media reported Tuesday.

The drills, held on Monday under the General Staff's combat training plan, aimed to assess the proficiency of tactical artillery units and share best practices across the army, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The drills were held just one week before the joint annual US-South Korea summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise set for Aug. 18-28.

During the artillery firing drills, mortar units of various calibers were engaged in simulated strikes on designated enemy targets, reportedly achieving 100% accuracy.

Marshal Pak Jong Chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Vice Marshal Ri Yong-gil, chief of the General Staff, oversaw the event.

On Monday, North Korea denounced a large-scale joint military exercise between the US and South Korea, warning that it would exercise its "self-defense" right in the event of a provocation.

About 20 of the originally 40 scheduled drills in this year's UFS exercise have been postponed to next month due to a heat wave and flood damage, as well as Seoul's apparent bid to improve ties with North Korea.