The South Korean army and police recently conducted a joint live anti-terror drill at a bank branch in Daegu, while the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, involving the military forces of South Korea and the United States, commenced with a focus on addressing North Korea's nonkinetic operations. These operations include public opinion warfare, cyberattacks, and the spread of fake news. The annual joint military exercise, running through August 29, is the third since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022, reflecting concerns about North Korea's unconventional war tools and nuclear missile threats. Alongside the military exercise, a civil defense exercise involving 580,000 civilians began, emphasizing South Korea's readiness to fend off social unrest and propaganda operations from North Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the need for defense readiness and highlighted the threat of "antistate forces" conducting covert operations in South Korean society. He also called for measures to combat confusion and division caused by such operations. The exercise will focus on responding to low-level "gray-zone provocations" from North Korea, such as hacking attacks and psychological warfare. Additionally, the exercise will include response measures against hypothetical attacks on critical infrastructure and will involve an unprecedented drill against a nuclear attack scenario by North Korea. The expanded outdoor drills aim to enhance the combined capabilities of the South Korea-US military alliance. President Yoon's remarks reflect concerns about the evolving nature of warfare and the need for a national war readiness posture.