The U.S. and South Korea kicked off springtime military exercises on Monday, and while these do not involve field training, historical precedent and North Korean media statements make clear that Pyongyang won’t be happy about the drills.

The DPRK has routinely criticized U.S.-ROK military training as “hostile” and as preparation for invasion. For decades, it has appealed to Seoul and Washington to stop the exercises, using a mix of threats, insults and weapon tests.

Both the U.S. and South Korea insist that regular military activities between the two allies are