Defence ministry of South Korea on Thursday, said that it wants to have a smaller joint military exercise with the United States in the upcoming year, to exercise larger as a part of an effort to boost its nuclear diplomacy with North Korea.
As tensions at the Korean peninsula eased, a number of combined military force exercises has been suspended by the allies, and the Washington has begun its talks with Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear program.
According to news reports, the defence ministry said that with nuclear talks, Washington and Seoul are focusing on scaling back its regular field exercise, which included Foal Eagle in the early 2019, and to hold two-computer-simulated command post exercise in upcoming year.
Last month, the US defence secretary Jim Mattis has said the Foal Eagle exercise would now be “reorganized a bit to keep it at a level that will not be harmful to diplomacy” with North Korea.
On Thursday, as a part of its briefing of annual policy, the defence ministry produced its plan to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. In an official statement, the defence ministry said, “Joint field exercises would take place all year round after adjusting the scale.”
The proposed plan was also expected to affect summer exercise called as Ulchi Freedom Guardian, the exercise which had been suspended by the allies last year.
At the briefing, Moon said the strong defence system of South Korea has underpinned “a new chapter of history of peace on the Korean peninsula”.
Moon said, “But it’s only provisional peace,” further adding, “We have to establish unwavering, lasting peace next year.”
North and South Korean’s leaders had three summits where they signed an agreement to establish no-fly zone, removed guard posts and landmines nearby their guarded border.
Shin Beom-chul, a senior at the Asian Institute for policy studies in Seoul, said, “If no progress is made by the summer, the United States would face substantial pressure at home and could try to restart the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise.”