South Korea and the United States plan to kick off an annual joint military exercise Wednesday amid heightening tensions following the North's recent missile test and the death of its leader's half brother.

"The allies will begin the Foal Eagle exercise tomorrow, which lasts through the end of April, and the Key Resolve exercise will be held starting March 13," an official at the defense ministry told Yonhap News Agency.
 

Foal Eagle is a field training exercise involving ground, air and naval forces, and Key Resolve is a computer-simulated command post exercise. Pyongyang denounced the joint drills as a rehearsal for invasion.

The US reportedly plans to send strategic assets such as the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, the F-35 aircraft, and the B-1B and B-52 bombers to the joint exercise. The Carl Vinson made a port call in Guam on Feb. 10 in what could be preparation to join the drill.

The two allies are likely to deploy major strategic assets to the drills to deliver a stern warning against the North's continued provocations.

On Feb. 12, Pyongyang test-fired a newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missile Sunday morning in its first provocation since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. (Yonhap)