North Korea has carried out artillery firing drills to strengthen its combat readiness, state media reported Tuesday, just days before South Korea and the United States begin their joint military exercise.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), tactical artillery subunits conducted a “firing practice contest” on Monday as part of a combat drill plan from the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army. The move comes ahead of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, scheduled for August 18–28.

KCNA said the drills aimed to “perfect the capability to fight a war” and demonstrate the army’s determination to defend the nation. The exercise was overseen by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the ruling party’s Central Military Commission, though leader Kim Jong-un was absent.

An official from South Korea’s unification ministry noted that the disclosed drills were relatively small-scale, involving fewer and less sophisticated weapons, and could be a public response to the upcoming Seoul–Washington exercise. Kim has skipped supervising artillery drills only twice in the past five years.

North Korea regularly conducts summer military training between July and September. Its leadership has long denounced joint drills between South Korea and the US as rehearsals for invasion, while the allies maintain they are defensive in nature.

On Monday, North Korean Defence Minister No Kwang-chol warned that Pyongyang would take “self-defence” measures if provoked, condemning the planned large-scale exercise.

The firing drills come amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with both sides continuing military preparations while leaving open the possibility of further escalation during the UFS period.