SOUTH Korea and the United States began their biggest joint military exercises in years today as North Korea said that it had tested submarine-launched cruise missiles.

The North views the latest war games by US and South Korean forces as a rehearsal for a possible invasion.

The provocative military drills, which are set to run for 11 days, led North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to order his troops last week to be ready to repel its rivals’ “frantic war preparation moves.”