South Korea and the United States have agreed to end two of the biggest yearly joint military drills conducted in South Korea. In a statement, the Pentagon said the decision “reflected our desire to reduce tension and support our diplomatic efforts to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a final, fully verified manner.” The announcement comes directly after a meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Trump abruptly suspended South Korean military exercises after the two leaders met in Singapore last year. North Korea opposes the exercises, calling them “U.S. practice to invade North Korea” and “simulations for war.” Trump has often complained about the high cost of military exercises in the region, and said American allies should pay more to the U.S. to defend them. Smaller joint exercises are set to continue “per plan,” according to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan.
DoD release confirms the KEY RESOLVE and FOAL EAGLE major military exercises are cancelled, as Trump has called for. https://t.co/RttBci3uNc
