The drill which will run through Thursday will bring together south Korean naval forces, coastal police and local self-governing bodies.

The drill is reportedly aimed to examine the capability to conduct joint operations and establish a combined posture to cope with "provocation" from the north.

This saber-rattling to be staged, timed to coincide with the joint naval maneuvers targeting the north with the U.S. nuclear-powered carrier group involved, is touching off indignation at home and abroad as it is a grave military provocation to ignite a nuclear war against the north at any cost.