South Korean and the United states will kick off their annual joint exercise next week as scheduled despite of protest from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Sunday.

About 19,000 South Korean and US troops will participate in the 12-day Ulchi Focus Lens exercise, mostly computer-simulated war games, from next Monday to evaluate and improve procedures, plans and systems used in the event of conflict on the peninsula, said Yonhap.

A small number of American troops will be deployed from US military bases in Guam, Japan and other areas to take part in the exercise, Yonhap said.

The drill, the 30th of its kind, has aroused angry response from the DPRK, who assailed the military game "is another grave challenge to peace and security on the Korean peninsula."

The drill is one of three major joint exercises between South Korea and the United States. The other two are Foal Eagle in the fall and RSO&I, or Receiving, Staging, Onward movement and Integration, in the spring.