<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>South Korea’s military said on Saturday it detected </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/north-korea" rel="" target="" title="North Korea"><span>North Korea</span></a><span> firing at least one projectile toward its eastern sea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately say whether the weapon was ballistic or how far it flew.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The launch came as the United States and South Korea conduct their annual springtime joint military exercises involving thousands of troops while the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/kharg-island-military-strike-donald-trump-us-middle-east-iran-war-latest-news/50913729-78f2-4826-badf-459faff01eec" rel="" target="" title="Trump administration also wages an escalating war"><span>Trump administration also wages an escalating war</span></a><span> against </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/north-korean-leader-kim-and-his-daughter-try-out-new-pistols-at-shooting-range/6e174a14-b28d-4f82-81c8-4243a3315ef9"><strong><span>Leather-clad Kim shows off his 'excellent' small gun arsenal</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The North has long described the allies’ drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext to dial up its own military demonstrations or weapons testing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The launch came days after the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday criticised Washington and Seoul for proceeding with their drills at a perilous moment for global security, and warned that any challenge to the North’s safety would bring “terrible consequences.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 11-day Freedom Shield exercise, which runs until March 19, is one of two annual command post exercises conducted by the militaries of the United States and South Korea.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-toward-sea-seoul-says/d3215f86-36ff-480b-b04b-1c9e0e3f6bc1" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/does-australia-have-another-petrol-would-we-run-out-of-fuel-oil-supply-iran-war-news/1f4af25b-2f5a-43d3-8a83-dcc919e12e28"><strong><span>Will the pumps run dry? How the war in Iran is impacting Australia's oil supply</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The largely computer-simulated drills are designed to test the allies’ joint operational capabilities, while incorporating evolving war scenarios and security challenges.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Freedom Shield will be accompanied by a field training program called Warrior Shield.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-deploys-thousands-of-marines-to-middle-east-iran-war-latest-news/9414ce9f-06e4-42a6-8dd2-790aa96c7092"><strong><span>Iran war will end 'when I feel it in my bones', says Trump</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Talks derailed in 2019 following the collapse of Kim’s second summit with US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> during his first term.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kim has made Russia the priority of his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>