Joint Military Drills

[Anchor Lead]

The South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command says it will follow the decision of the alliance on President Moon Jae-in’s proposal to postpone joint military exercises until after the Winter Olympics in February. This comes after Washington appeared to distance itself from the president’s suggestion in an interview with U.S. broadcaster NBC News. Here’s more.

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United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he had never heard about President Moon Jae-in's proposition to postpone the two nations' joint military drills next year. He said he had not heard about changes in plans to hold the annual military exercises.

[Soundbite] Rex Tillerson (U.S. Secretary of State)

A Cheong Wa Dae official said that Seoul conveyed its proposition to Washington and that the two sides are discussing the matter. He added that the final decision on whether or not to postpone the military drills would be announced at the right time. While Seoul and Washington are trying to fine tune the matter, the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command has announced its official stance. The command said that it would follow the decision of the Korea-U.S. alliance and announce the final decision when the time is right. If the militaries of South Korea and the United States agree to push back the annual exercise, which is usually held in March, the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises will be held in April next year. Although the Cheong Wa Dae has made it clear that the reduction of the scope of the drills was not subject to consideration, there is a possibility that it will be adjusted as well. If that happens, tensions on the Korean Peninsula will be eased, paving the way for hosting the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in a safer and more peaceful atmosphere. Some observers also say that this could contribute to creating an atmosphere of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang as well as between South and North Korea. The Cheong Wa Dae is urging Pyongyang to respond positively, as any of its additional provocations may affect the decision to postpone the military drills.