Suspending South Korean military drills in response to North Korean objections and threats is not an option, Seoul’s defense minister said Monday.

Lee Jong-sup’s remark came after a week in which top DPRK military official Pak Jong Chon issued a series of statements warning of a “terrible price” for large-scale U.S.-ROK air drills and North Korea launched an unprecedented number of missiles, including into waters off South Korea’s coast.

“There will be no such thing as suspending military exercises because of North Korean threats,” Lee said in an answer to a lawmaker’s question during a parliamentary session Monday night.