South Korea and the United States will launch their annual large-scale military exercise this month to bolster readiness against North Korean threats, the allies said Thursday, in a move likely to irritate Pyongyang amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.

South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills starting on August 18, officials said, although they will delay parts of the annual exercises that have been a source of tension with North Korea to later in the year.

Speaking at a joint press conference, officials downplayed concerns that South Korea’s new liberal President Lee Jae Myung is looking to scale back this year’s drills in an effort to open a door for dialogue with their northern neighbours.