US, SKorea to conclude military exercises
Print Edition
The Pentagon announced on Saturday that the United States and South Korea have decided to 鈥渃onclude鈥 the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle series of military exercises, which the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea has viewed as provocative.
The announcement came after a phone call between US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and his South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeong-doo earlier on Saturday, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The defense chiefs 鈥渞eviewed and approved the alliance decisions recommended by the commander of US Forces Korea and the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff on the combined exercise and training program,鈥 it said.
鈥淔ollowing close coordination, both sides decided to conclude the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle series of exercises,鈥 said the statement.
The Pentagon suggested the decision to suspend the war games was a gesture to reduce tensions.
鈥淛eong expressed his regrets that a complete agreement was not reached while also noting his hopes for the US and the DPRK to continue further vigorous conversations based on the discussion results of the summit,鈥 it said. 鈥淏oth the minister and secretary agreed that close coordination between the military activities of the United States and Republic of Korea will continue to support diplomatic efforts,鈥 said the statement.
US media had reported earlier that the United States and South Korea would downgrade the large-scale joint military exercises this spring. The combined forces of the United States and South Korea have annually staged springtime war games from March to April, including the Key Resolve command post exercise and the Foal Eagle field training drill. The DPRK has denounced the war games as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.
The Pentagon said in the statement that the defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea have made it clear that the 鈥渄ecision to adapt our training program reflected our desire to reduce tension and support our diplomatic efforts to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a final, fully verified manner.鈥
They 鈥渁ffirmed their continued support for the ROK and US armed forces, the Combined Force Command, and the United Nations Command in support of peace and security in the region,鈥 said the statement.
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