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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced on Wednesday that a joint military exercise with South Korea, dubbed "Foal Eagle," would have a reduced reach next year in order to not to interfere with diplomatic efforts with North Korea.
PHOTO FILE: Amphibious assault vehicles of the South Korean Marine Corps travel during a military exercise as part of the annual joint military training called Foal Eagle between South Korea and South Korea. the United States to Pohang, South Korea, April 5, 2018. REUTERS / Kim Hong -Ji
"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.
At an unprecedented summit in June, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to work towards denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula and establishing new ones. relationships.
Since then, the United States and South Korea have suspended a number of military exercises to encourage talks with North Korea.
But negotiations have not progressed since, Pyongyang being upset by Washington's insistence that international sanctions remain unchanged until North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons.
Trump surprised many US officials earlier this year when he announced after his summit with Kim that the United States was suspending joint military exercises 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 military preparedness.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States had told South Korea, their ally, that it should not improve relations with North Korea faster than Pyongyang had taken measures to give up its nuclear weapons.
Last month, in a rare sign of contention between Seoul and Washington, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that Mr. Pompeo had expressed his "dissatisfaction" during an inter-military pact. -Korean concluded at a summit in September.
Report by Idrees Ali; Edited by Bill Berkrot
