South Korea and the US militaries are holding live-fire drills this week near western sea border islands with the DPRK. The drills are to be held despite Pyongyang's warning of "merciless retaliation" if provoked.

South Korean Marines take part in a military exercise marking the first anniversary of North Korea's artillery attacks on Yeonpyeong Island, at the Pyeonghwa (Peace) Park on the island, in 2011. [File photo]

Seoul's Ministry of National Defense says the drill near the five border islands in the Yellow Sea is "routine". The south side notified the DPRK of the planned drill through its representatives at the truce village of Panmunjom.

In response, the DPRK military issued a notice Sunday, denouncing the drill as "a premeditated military provocation", and vowing to make "promptly merciless retaliatory strikes" if the South violated its territorial waters during the drill.

The South Korean military has staged five similar drills in the same waters since Jan. 26. A similar firing drill in 2010 triggered fierce artillery fire exchange between the two sides near the Yeonpyeong Island, during which four South Koreans were killed.

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