The United States and South Korea will conduct major joint military exercises starting Sunday just off the Korean peninsula, the U.S. military announced Tuesday.

The exercise, dubbed "Invincible Spirit," will involve about 8,000 Army, Air Force and Navy personnel, 20 ships and 200 aircraft, the military said. The purpose of the training is to improve readiness against a "range of
threats" facing South Korea, the military said in a statement. The four-day exercise will be the first in a series planned in the Sea of Japan.

"We stand fully prepared to respond militarily to any further North Korean provocation," said Gen. Han Min-koo, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.