South Korea will host a multinational navy drill aimed at curbing trafficking in weapons of mass destruction, its defence ministry said Tuesday, in a move likely to anger North Korea.

South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia will carry out the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative exercise on September 27 in waters 100 kilometres (62.5 miles) off the southern port city of Busan, the ministry said.

Seven warships and 11 aircraft from the four nations will take part in the drill.

South Korea joined the initiative as a full member in 2009 after North Korea carried out its second nuclear test. Pyongyang condemned the South's participation as being tantamount to "a declaration of war".

South Korea had previously only been an observer in the PSI for fear of offending its communist neighbour, and the defence ministry stressed that the upcoming exercise was not aimed at any particular country.

Launched by then-US President George W. Bush in 2003, the PSI aims to prevent trafficking of WMDs, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states of proliferation concern.

South Korea first played host to a PSI drill in 2010.