SEOUL—The U.S. and South Korea said they would resume combined military exercises aimed at deterring North Korea, despite a recent detente with Pyongyang that yielded promises from the regime to suspend weapons tests and commit to denuclearization talks.

The allies opted earlier this year to delay the annual maneuvers, which North Korea routinely denounces, to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in South Korea in February and March.

The Pentagon said late Monday that the exercises, known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, would go ahead from April 1 on the “same scale, scope and duration as previous years.”

“Our combined exercises are defense-oriented and there is no reason for North Korea to view them as a provocation,” Pentagon spokesman U.S. Army Col. Robert Manning III said.

North Korea in the past has characterized the military maneuvers as rehearsals for an invasion, and has cited them among its motivations for developing nuclear weapons in defiance of international sanctions.