South Korean military officials said Friday they will carry out joint exercises with the United States next week to hone the two allies' ability to counter a North Korean nuclear threat.

South Korea's defense ministry said the so-called “tabletop exercises” will take place Tuesday and Wednesday. A tabletop exercise is a simulated interactive exercise that helps to test the capability of an organization to respond to a simulated event. Usually, no equipment or troops are deployed.

The defense ministry said the exercise is a follow-up to the meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin last week.