JOINT MILITARY DRILLS WITH WASHINGTON

[Anchor Lead]

Washington has promised vaccination support for South Korean troops. The Defense Ministry says there will be no field training in the second half of the year. The ministry says it's discussing the exact time and scope of joint military drills with Washington.

[Pkg]

South Korea's Defense Ministry says no field training will take place during the joint ROK-U.S. military drills slated for August. The ministry added that command post training held in the second half of the year never included field training. Command post training held in the first half of the year usually includes field training, but this year it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Therefore, the joint military drills slated for the second half of the year will likely be held through computer simulations. The Defense Ministry said it's discussing with Washington the exact date and scope of the drills and that nothing is yet finalized. The military says vaccination support alone provided by the U.S. to the South Korean troops will not determine how the military drills will be held, and the final decision depends on the COVID-19 situation and combat readiness.

[Soundbite] Boo Seung-chan(Defense Ministry spokesperson) : "The decision will be based on conditions for wartime operational control transfer and diplomatic efforts toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishment of lasting peace."

President Moon Jae-in said earlier it would be difficult to hold massive military exercises in person on the same level as before. During the upcoming drills, the South Korean military plans to verify the Full Operating Capability of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command in order to speed up the transfer of wartime operational control.