Seoul: South Korea’s defence ministry on Monday said that it would exercise restraint in promoting its planned annual military drills with the United States.
This step would be taken so that the ongoing efforts for denuclearisation and lasting peace on the peninsula don’t hamper.
S Korean Defense Minister Song Yong-moo and his U.S. counterpart James Mattis agreed to keep the allies’ regular combined military exercises low-key to maintain peace, Yonhap reported.
However, North Korea raised objection to the allied military drills. It also called this a rehearsal for an invasion of the North.
Pyongyang cancelled the planned high-level inter-Korean meeting last month, taking issue with the allies’ regular Max Thunder aerial drills.
On May 24, North Korea carried out the demolition of its Punggye-ri nuclear test site in a series of “huge” explosions.
ANI