The U.S. Defense Department says a joint South Korea-U.S. naval exercise set to begin on Saturday in the Yellow Sea is not aimed to threaten anybody.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Media Operations Captain John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that the upcoming three-day drill is an exercise that South Korea conducts annually, and this year would mark the first time the U.S. takes part.

On a plan for the U.S., South Korea and Japan to conduct a two-day, trilateral naval exercise in the waters off Jeju Island beginning Thursday, Kirby said the U.S. will continue to seize opportunities for the three countries to enhance their ability to operate together.

Earlier on Monday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced the planned trilateral drill, calling it a “provocation” and “a violation of the Korean War armistice.”