South Korea and the United States have begun their annual joint military exercises, but they paused live-fire training while Seoul investigates how two of its fighter jets mistakenly bombed a civilian

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.

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.

South Korean and U.S. troops will begin their large annual joint military drills next week to enhance their readiness against North Korean threats.