South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills known as Freedom Shield from March 9 to 19, military officials from the countries said on Wednesday. The annual exercise is “defensive in nature,” officials said at a briefing, though the designation has not prevented it from being a frequent flashpoint with North Korea, which has long denounced the drills as a rehearsal for invasion.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. The exercise will also serve as an opportunity to support ongoing preparations for the transfer of US wartime operational control to South Korea, they said. Past drills, including last year’s iteration, featured multi-domain and command-post training aimed at supporting this readiness. South Korea aims to complete the handover of military command from the US before President Lee Jae Myung’s term ends in 2030. South Korean and US officials said the