According to CoinMeta, as reported by KCNA on the 14th, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry stated on the 13th that the United States and South Korea announced they would begin the large-scale joint military exercise "Ulsan Freedom Shield 2026" on August 17th. This military exercise is essentially a rehearsal for an aggressive war. The North Korean side pointed out that the United States has openly stated that this joint exercise is significantly different from those of the past five years, with a focus on developing the ability to conduct warfare in modern warfare scenarios, indicating that the purpose of the exercise is to improve preparations for actual military confrontation with North Korea. The North Korean side believes that the provocation and danger of this exercise far exceed those of last year, posing a serious threat to North Korea's national security as well as the regional security environment.