U.S., South Korea consider halting drills for Olympics

The U.S. and South Korea are considering delaying joint military drills until after the Pyeongchang Olympics in a bid to reduce tensions with North Korea, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The annual Spring military exercises known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle could be deferred until mid-March, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was not a matter that officials would comment on. The Financial Times reported the drills might be postponed.

Pyongyang regularly describes the drills as a prelude to invasion and says they justify its nuclear and missile-testing program. In response to a five-day joint air exercise on the peninsula involving 230 aircraft and 12,000 American troops earlier this month, North Korea threatened to take the “highest-level hard-line countermeasure in history.”

The Winter Olympics will run Feb. 9-25, with the Paralympics taking place March 9-18. The last Foal Eagle exercise, which consisted of ground, air, naval and special operations field drills, started in early March and ran through April, overlapping with the Key Resolve exercises that focus on computer simulations.

Postponing the drills could help create conditions for talks between the U.S. and North Korea.