South Korea and the U.S. will practice “repelling a North Korean attack” during joint exercises later this month, Seoul’s defense ministry stated Monday.

The focus of the 13-day Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises will be wartime scenario and deterrence practices as well as counterattack drills, according to a ministry briefing submitted to the National Assembly’s defense committee.

The joint exercises will begin in late August and will be made up of three unique stages with different focus areas, the briefing seen by NK Newsstates. The first stage will last four days and focus on crisis management drills, including early-stage