The South Korean military kicked off the new year with a series of maritime and land exercises on Wednesday, including at the inter-Korean border, aiming to bolster readiness against North Korean threats and set the tone for 2024.

The army and navy training came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his country’s military to “further accelerate war preparations” earlier this week, with Seoul’s spy agency recently warning that Pyongyang will likely carry out “military and cyber provocations” around elections in 2024.