Seoul, U.S. scale back drills in bid to reinforce nuclear diplomacy

SEOUL — The South Korean and U.S. militaries are scaling back their annual exercises this month due to the COVID19 pandemic and to support diplomacy focusing on North Korea’s nuclear program, officials said Sunday.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the allies decided to start the nineday drills on Monday after reviewing factors like the status of the pandemic and diplomatic efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

It said the drills are mostly tabletop exercises and simulations that won’t involve field training.

Last year, the allies canceled their springtime drills after some of their troops were infected with the coronavirus. In recent years, the countries have also suspended or downsized many of their regular training to create more space for the nowstalled diplomatic drive to convince North Korea to denuclearize in return for economic and political incentives.

U.S.South Korea drills have been a major source of animosities on the peninsula, with North Korea viewing them as invasion rehearsals and responding with its own weapons tests. In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged South Korea to end drills with the U.S., warning the fate of their relations with North Korea depends on how they behave.

The nuclear negotiations have been stalled since a February 2019 summit between Kim and then President Donald Trump collapsed due to wrangling over U.S.led sanctions on North Korea. The government of South Korean President Moon Jaein has been calling for the diplomacy’s restart and greater interKorean ties.