US, S Korea to ‘discontinue joint exercise’
WASHINGTON: The US military and South Korea are planning to “discontinue” annual large-scale military exercises as President Donald Trump pursues efforts to improve ties with North Korea, a US official has told AFP.
The comment from the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, came shortly after the conclusion of Trump’s second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which ended without a formal agreement but with both sides suggesting they will keep talking. In South Korea, a government official suggested the drills would be downgraded rather than scrapped entirely.
“If we define the size of the drills solely by the number of the soldiers, then yes, the exercises will likely be smaller,” the official told AFP. The two sides are still discussing the wording of a joint statement that is expected to be released in the coming days, the official added.
NBC News first reported that the Foal Eagle drills—which usually take place in the spring— would be scrapped, citing two unnamed US defence officials.
Foal Eagle is the biggest of the regular joint exercises held by the allies, and has always infuriated Pyongyang, which condemned it as preparations for invasion. In the past, it has involved 200,000 South Korean forces and some 30,000 US soldiers. It overlaps with the Key Resolve exercise.
STUDENT DEATH: TRUMP SLAMS NORTH, NOT KIM
President Donald Trump sought to quell a firestorm sparked by his comments on the case of an American student tortured and left in a coma in North Korea, saying his words had been “misinterpreted.” Otto Warmbier, 22, died days after being sent back to the US in 2017.
After a stern rebuke from Warmbier’s parents, Trump took to Twitter, insisting he held North Korea responsible for the student’s death, but without directly blaming Kim or even mentioning him. “I never like being misinterpreted, but especially when it comes to Otto Warmbier and his great family,” Trump said. “Of course I hold North Korea responsible.”