TRUMP HAILS KOREA TALKS, CREDITS HIS STRONG STANCE

WASHINGTON/SEOUL: US President Donald Trump on Thursday called potential talks between North and South Korea “a good thing” and the South Korean presidency said he had agreed there would be no military drills with South Korea during next month’s Winter Olympics.

South Korea’s Presidential Blue House said Trump told South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in in a telephone call that he hoped inter-korean talks would lead to good results and that he would send a high-level delegation, including members of his family, to the Winter Olympics, which will be held in South Korea.

In a tweet ahead of the South Korean statement, Trump hailed potential talks between North Korea and South Korea as “a good thing” and took credit for any dialogue after Seoul and Pyongyang this week signalled willingness to speak.

“Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn’t firm, strong and willing to commit our total ‘might’ against the North,” Trump tweeted, adding that “talks are a good thing!”

Asked about the suspension in drills, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said: “The Department of Defense supports the president’s decision and what is in the best interest of the (South Korea)-u.s. alliance.”

North Korea has for long denounced U.s.-south Korean joint military exercises as preludes to invasion.

US officials had earlier responded coolly to Pyongyang’s suggestion of talks with the state department.