The United States and South Korea began their annual Freedom Shield joint military exercise on Monday, as speculation swirled that Washington may be shifting some military assets to the Middle East.

South Korean and U.S. forces started Freedom Shield, their annual spring combined exercise, on Monday for a 10-day run, expected to reflect elements related to information and cognitive warfare.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his teenage daughter, oversaw strategic cruise missile tests fired from a warship, state media reported on Wednesday. The launches come as Pyongyang issued threats in response to ongoing US-South Korean military exercises.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. South Korean and U.S. forces kicked off their annual summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise on Monday, amid efforts by Seoul to improve relations with North Korea.

The annual South Korea-US military exercise, Freedom Shield, kicked off Monday, with a reduced number of outdoor field training drills. The command post–based e