S. Korea to stage regular Taegeuk defense drills next week

South Korea's military will conduct its annual computer-simulated Taegeuk exercise next week to strengthen readiness against North Korean military threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday.

The three-day exercise will begin Monday, simulating crisis situation scenarios across multiple domains, as well as "gray-zone" provocations that fall short of armed military action, according to the JCS.

"Through this exercise, our military will reinspect and develop necessary response systems, with a focus on harnessing a proactive posture and overwhelming capabilities against North Korean provocations," it said in a release.

The exercise will take place after North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, marking its first ballistic missile launch since March.