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By Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced on Wednesday that a joint military exercise with South Korea, called "Foal Eagle," would have a reduced reach next year in order to not to interfere with diplomatic efforts with North Korea.
"Foal Eagle is reorganizing a bit to keep it at a level that will not hurt diplomacy," Mattis told reporters.
The Foal Eagle field exercise, which typically involves thousands of soldiers, land, air, naval and special operations, takes place each spring.
Mattis did not provide details on what a reduced version of the exercise would imply.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said Thursday that allies are still in talks about next year's exercise and that they will officially announce their decision early next month.
"Armed forces on both sides are discussing ways to support the two governments' diplomatic efforts to advance the denuclearization of North Korea," spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said at a news conference in Beijing. Seoul.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed at an unprecedented summit in June to work on denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula and to build new relations.
The United States and South Korea have since suspended a number of military exercises to encourage talks with North Korea.
However, negotiations have recently advanced, Pyongyang being upset by Washington's insistence on maintaining international sanctions until North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons.
Trump surprised many US officials when he announced after his summit with Kim that the United States was suspending the joint military exercises of the summer with South Korea, known as the Ulchi Freedom Guardian.
The new commander of US forces in South Korea, General Robert Abrams, said in September that the decision to suspend some joint exercises was a "cautious risk" but had resulted in a "slight deterioration" in state of readiness military.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the United States had told South Korea, its ally, not to improve their relations with North Korea faster than Pyongyang is taking the necessary steps to make his nuclear weapons.
In a rare sign of contention between Seoul and Washington last month, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that Pompeo had expressed "dissatisfaction" with an international military pact. Korean concluded at a summit in September.
(Report by Idrees Ali, additional report by Hyonhee Shin in SEOUL, edited by Bill Berkrot and Paul Tait)
