After North Korea's furious response to upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has revealed Washington could alter the allies' drills... if it encourages the North back to the dialogue table.
Hong Yoo reports.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that joint military exercises in South Korea could be altered if it helps to advance a diplomatic deal with North Korea to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.
Speaking to reporters on a flight en-route to Seoul, Esper said the U.S. will adjust its exercise posture that empowers and helps U.S. diplomats in nuclear talks with the regime.
He didn't elaborate on the adjustments that might be contemplated, but he said it would be done in consultation with the South Korean government.
This comes after North Korea threatened to retaliate if the U.S. went ahead with its scheduled military drills with Seoul.
The pro-North Korea newspaper Chosun Sinbo on Wednesday said the opportunity for dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. will disappear if a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump doesn't take place before the end of the year.
South Korea and the U.S. previously reduced the scale of their 2018 and 2019 military exercises hoping it would help convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
But the tactic has yet to bear fruit.
While refraining to respond to North Korea's opposition, the U.S. reaffirmed the principle that the two sides can hold simultaneous and parallel discussions on the issue of establishing a peace regime and improving relations related to denuclearization and the security of the regime, which the North has demanded.
Esper added that the Trump administration takes seriously North Korea's year-end deadline for progress on North Korea-U.S. diplomacy and another Kim-Trump summit.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.