The United States and South Korea have agreed to indefinitely suspend two exchange programme training exercises, the Pentagon said on Friday, in the aftermath of the summit earlier this month between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Jim Jong Un.

“To support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit, and in coordination with our Republic of Korea ally, Secretary Mattis has indefinitely suspended select exercises,” Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said on Friday.

“This includes suspending FREEDOM GUARDIAN along with two Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises scheduled to occur in the next three months,” White said.

At a news conference after the meeting with Kim in Singapore, Trump announced that he would halt what he called “very provocative” and expensive regular military exercises that the United States holds with South Korea. North Korea had long sought an end to the war games.

Earlier this week, the United States and South Korea said they were suspending planning for August’s Freedom Guardian exercise.

James Mattis met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford and Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton on Friday, White said.

“In support of upcoming diplomatic negotiations led by Secretary Pompeo, additional decisions will depend upon the DPRK continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith,” she added.

Every spring, the United States and South Korea conduct Foal Eagle and Max Thunder drills, both of which wrapped up in May.

The decision to halt military exercises with South Korea baffled allies, military officials and lawmakers. The drills help keep U.S. forces at a state of readiness in one of the world’s most tense flashpoints </s> President Trump's pledge Tuesday to suspend joint U.S. military exercises with South Korea will be a welcome concession to North Korea, which has frequently complained that the drills are a preparation for war.

But halting the annual exercises would not represent a major sacrifice for the United States, which has suspended the military drills before in an effort to lessen tensions on the peninsula. They can be restarted quickly.

Most recently the Pentagon agreed to delay planned military exercises during the Olympics, which were held in South Korea, after the North agreed to participate. The exercises were held after the Winter Games ended.

The drills were also suspended between 1994 and 1996 in an attempt to improve conditions during diplomatic talks with North Korea. The diplomatic efforts ultimately failed and the exercises resumed.

Trump said he would halt the exercises during a news conference after his summit with Kim. He termed the exercises "provocative.'

"This would be a substantial concession to North Korea's security concerns," said Alison Evans, an analyst at IHS Markit, a firm that tracks security issues.

The military exercises, which often involve ships, aircraft and thousands of troops have been conducted for decades on the Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon has said they are critical to maintain the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces, which could be called on to defend against an attack from North Korea, which has an active duty force of one million troops and thousands of artillery pieces and rocket launchers aimed at the South.

In a news conference after the summit Trump suggested suspending them would be a cost-saving measure.

"We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should," Trump said.

It's not clear how South Korea and other U.S. allies in the region will react to the suspension of exercises. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been pushing the United States and North Korea to reconcile their differences and may be sympathetic to the overture.

But many South Korean officials and other regional leaders may see the move as a lessening of military commitment to the region. The United States has more than 30,000 troops based in South Korea.

"South Koreans and the Japanese were taken aback by the president's statement," said Victor Cha, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Trump may also have raised concerns when he said he would like the American troops in South Korea to "come home," but there were no plans to do so now.

"That's not part of the equation right now," Trump said. "At some point, I hope it will be, but not right now."

The Pentagon in a statement said it "welcomes the positive news coming out of the summit and fully supports the ongoing, diplomatically-led efforts" with North Korea.

"Our alliances remain ironclad, and ensure peace and stability in the region," the statement said. </s> The US military and South Korea are planning to "discontinue" annual large-scale military exercises as President Donald Trump pursues efforts to improve ties with North Korea, a US official told AFP Friday.

The comment from the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, came shortly after the conclusion of Trump's second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which ended without a formal agreement but with both sides suggesting they will keep talking.

NBC News first reported that the Foal Eagle drills -- which usually take place in the spring -- would be scrapped, citing two unnamed US defense officials.

Foal Eagle is the biggest of the regular joint exercises held by the allies, and has always infuriated Pyongyang, which condemned it as preparations for invasion. In the past, it has involved 200,000 South Korean forces and some 30,000 US soldiers.

It overlaps with the Key Resolve exercise.

Since Trump's first summit with Kim last year in Singapore, the US and Seoul have scaled back or scrapped several joint military drills, and US bombers are no longer flying over South Korea.

Trump has repeatedly complained that the exercises are too costly.

NBC reported that the annual exercises would be replaced with "smaller, mission-specific training."

The Republican president however has ruled out withdrawing any of the 28,500 US forces based in South Korea to defend it from its nuclear-armed neighbor, which invaded in 1950.

Any such drawdown would face strong pushback from the US Congress and Japan, whose conservative government is deeply wary of North Korea's intentions. </s> WASHINGTON, March 2 — The US military and South Korea are planning to “discontinue” annual large-scale military exercises as President Donald Trump pursues efforts to improve ties with North Korea, a US official told AFP yesterday

The comment from the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, came shortly after the conclusion of Trump’s second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, which ended without a formal agreement but with both sides suggesting they will keep talking.

NBC News first reported that the Foal Eagle drills — which usually take place in the spring — would be scrapped, citing two unnamed US defence officials.

Foal Eagle is the biggest of the regular joint exercises held by the allies, and has always infuriated Pyongyang, which condemned it as preparations for invasion. In the past, it has involved 200,000 South Korean forces and some 30,000 US soldiers.

It overlaps with the Key Resolve exercise.

Since Trump’s first summit with Kim last year in Singapore, the US and Seoul have scaled back or scrapped several joint military drills, and US bombers are no longer flying over South Korea.

Trump has repeatedly complained that the exercises are too costly.

NBC reported that the annual exercises would be replaced with “smaller, mission-specific training.”

The Republican president however has ruled out withdrawing any of the 28,500 US forces based in South Korea to defend it from its nuclear-armed neighbour, which invaded in 1950.

Any such drawdown would face strong pushback from the US Congress and Japan, whose conservative government is deeply wary of North Korea’s intentions. — AFP </s> President Trump’s pledge Tuesday to suspend joint U.S. military exercises with South Korea will be a welcome concession to North Korea, which has frequently complained that the drills are a preparation for war.

But halting the annual exercises would not represent a major sacrifice for the United States, which has suspended the military drills before in an effort to lessen tensions on the peninsula. They can be restarted quickly.

Most recently the Pentagon agreed to delay planned military exercises during the Olympics, which were held in South Korea, after the North agreed to participate. The exercises were held after the Winter Games ended.

The exercises were also suspended between 1994 and 1996 in an attempt to improve conditions during diplomatic talks with North Korea. The diplomatic efforts ultimately failed and the exercises resumed.

President Trump said he would halt the annual exercises during a press conference after his summit with Kim Jong Un. He termed the exercises “provocative.”

"This would be a substantial concession to North Korea’s security concerns," said Alison Evans, an analyst at IHS Markit, a firm that tracks security issues.

The military exercises, which often involve ships, aircraft and thousands of troops have been conducted for decades on the Korean peninsula.

The Pentagon has said they are critical to maintain the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces, which could be called on to defend against an attack from North Korea, which has an active duty force of one million troops and thousands of artillery pieces and rocket launchers aimed at the South.

In a press conference after the summit Trump suggested suspending the exercises would be a cost-saving measure.

It's not clear how South Korea will react to the suspension. South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, has been pushing the United States and North Korea to reconcile their differences and would likely support the offer.

But Moon's opponents consider U.S. military support as critical to the defense of South Korea. The United States has more than 25,000 troops based in South Korea.

Trump said he would like the troops to "come home," but there were no plans to do so now.

In a statement the Pentagon said it would continue to work with the White House, other agencies and “our allies and partners on the way forward” following the summit. The statement said the Defense Department would provide more “information as it becomes available.” </s> The United States and South Korea have agreed to indefinitely suspend two exchange program training exercises, the Pentagon said on Friday, in the aftermath of the summit earlier this month between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The exercise known as Freedom Guardian has already been suspended but two Korean marine exchange program training exercises scheduled for the next three months would also be put on ice, a spokeswoman said.

Regarding suspension of the exercises, South Korea’s defence ministry said: “South Korea and the US decided to delay two of KMEP (drills) indefinitely, which was going to take place within the next three months.

“This is a part of follow-up measures after the North Korea-US summit and South Korea-North Korea summit. There could be additional measures should North Korea follow suit with productive cooperation.”

At a news conference after the meeting with Kim in Singapore, Trump announced that he would halt what he called “very provocative” and expensive regular military exercises that the United States holds with South Korea. North Korea had long sought an end to the war games.

Earlier this week, the United States and South Korea said they were suspending planning for August’s Freedom Guardian exercise.

Last year, 17,500 American troops and more than 50,000 South Korean troops joined the Freedom Guardian drills, although the exercise is mostly focused on computerised simulations rather than field exercises.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, played down the significance of suspending the Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises, saying they were relatively minor.

US defence secretary James Mattis met with secretary of state Mike Pompeo, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Joseph Dunford and Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton on Friday, the Pentagon said.

“In support of upcoming diplomatic negotiations led by Secretary Pompeo, additional decisions will depend upon the DPRK continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith,” she added.

Every spring, the United States and South Korea conduct Foal Eagle and Max Thunder drills, both of which wrapped up in May.

The decision to halt military exercises with South Korea baffled allies, military officials and lawmakers. The drills help keep US forces at a state of readiness in one of the world’s most tense flash points. </s> President Trump’s pledge Tuesday to suspend joint U.S. military exercises with South Korea will be a welcome concession to North Korea, which has frequently complained that the drills are a preparation for war.

But halting the annual exercises would not represent a major sacrifice for the United States, which has suspended the military drills before in an effort to lessen tensions on the peninsula. They can be restarted quickly.

Most recently the Pentagon agreed to delay planned military exercises during the Olympics, which were held in South Korea, after the North agreed to participate. The exercises were held after the Winter Games ended.

The exercises were also suspended between 1994 and 1996 in an attempt to improve conditions during diplomatic talks with North Korea. The diplomatic efforts ultimately failed and the exercises resumed.

President Trump said he would halt the annual exercises during a press conference after his summit with Kim Jong Un. He termed the exercises “provocative.”

"This would be a substantial concession to North Korea’s security concerns," said Alison Evans, an analyst at IHS Markit, a firm that tracks security issues.

The military exercises, which often involve ships, aircraft and thousands of troops have been conducted for decades on the Korean peninsula.

The Pentagon has said they are critical to maintain the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces, which could be called on to defend against an attack from North Korea, which has an active duty force of one million troops and thousands of artillery pieces and rocket launchers aimed at the South.

In a press conference after the summit Trump suggested suspending the exercises would be a cost-saving measure.

It's not clear how South Korea will react to the suspension. South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, has been pushing the United States and North Korea to reconcile their differences and would likely support the offer.

But Moon's opponents consider U.S. military support as critical to the defense of South Korea. The United States has more than 25,000 troops based in South Korea.

Trump said he would like the troops to "come home," but there were no plans to do so now.

In a statement the Pentagon suggested there was no change in guidance yet from the White House.

The statement said the Defense Department would continue to work with the White House, other agencies and “our allies and partners on the way forward” following the summit.

The statement said the Defense Department would provide more “information as it becomes available.” </s> Washington: President Donald Trump's abrupt announcement that he will suspend US military drills in South Korea appeared to catch the Pentagon and the Seoul government flat-footed, and it contradicted a pillar of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' campaign to make US troops more combat-ready.

During a news conference following his summit on Tuesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Trump pushed his unconventional approach even further by calling annual the US-South Korean military exercises "provocative." He also said he'd like to remove all 28,500 US troops stationed in the South, although he made clear this was an option for the future, not a part of current negotiations.

The US has stationed combat troops in South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 war and has used them in a variety of large-scale drills designed to sharpen skills and test troops' ability to operate effectively with their South Korean partners.

The next scheduled major exercise, known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian and involving tens of thousands of troops, normally is held in August.

"We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should," Trump said in Singapore. "But we'll be saving a tremendous amount of money. Plus, I think it's very provocative." In a later interview with the Voice of America, Trump said the North Koreans were "very happy" about his decision to freeze the exercises "because it is so provocative."

In the wake of Trump's unexpected, almost offhand comments to reporters, the Pentagon had nothing to say about the future of the war games. Several hours after Trump's remarks, the Pentagon put out a brief statement welcoming "positive news" from Singapore, but it remained silent on whether Ulchi Freedom Guardian will proceed. Mattis' chief spokeswoman, Dana W White, told reporters he was "in full alignment" with Trump and had been consulted in advance on all aspects of the Singapore talks.

"There were no surprises," she said.

If Mattis was aware that Trump was going to announce a suspension of military exercises, he apparently did not share that information with the South Koreans or with the military organisation most directly affected: US Forces Korea.

That US command said it had "received no updated guidance on the execution or cessation of training exercises."

The South Korean government also appeared caught off guard. Seoul's presidential office told The Associated Press that it was trying to parse Trump's comments. The South Korean military seemed similarly surprised.

"At this current point, there is a need to discern the exact meaning and intent of President Trump's comments," Seoul's Defense Ministry said, adding that there have been no discussions yet with Washington on modifying drills set for August.

A degree of confusion arose after Vice-President Mike Pence spoke to senators at a lunch closed to media coverage. Senator Cory Gardner, Republican of Colorado, said Pence indicated that "exercises will continue," although Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said this referred to routine, daily training in South Korea, not the large-scale war games that Trump said are suspended.

Trump's remarks contradicted decades of assertions by the US administrations that military exercises in South Korea are defensive and essential to ensuring that allied forces are ready at a moment's notice to fight the North. A favoured US slogan in South Korea is "ready to fight tonight."

Mattis often says his number one priority as Pentagon chief is to improve what he calls the "lethality" of the military, which includes making troops better equipped, trained and prepared for a full range of combat. In his view, preparedness equates to more effective deterrence – persuading potential adversaries they cannot win and thus should not attack.

Trump's statement was portrayed by critics as an unreciprocated concession.

"Stopping the joint exercises has been a long-term goal for North Korea and China," two Asia analysts, Victor Cha and Sue Mi Terry, wrote in a summit assessment for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Trump delivered it while getting nothing in return beyond the same generalities that North Korea has been offering since the early 1990s."

Even some Republicans in Congress seemed uneasy about this. Republican Ed Royce of California, who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, applauded Trump for pursuing peace through diplomacy, but he also said Kim had "gained much" Tuesday, "including an apparent promise" from Trump to suspend military drills.

Trump also seemed annoyed that US bomber aircraft make six-plus hour flights from the Pacific island of Guam to the Korean peninsula as part of its exercise routine.

"Six and a half hours — that's a long time for these big massive planes to be flying to South Korea to practice and then drop bombs all over the place, and then go back to Guam," Trump said. "I know a lot about airplanes; it's very expensive."

North Korea regularly calls the military exercises provocative preparations for a northward invasion, and many of the scariest standoffs in recent years on the Korean Peninsula have happened when the drills were being staged.

Moon Seong Mook, a former South Korean military official, said Trump's comments on the drills confirmed what many in South Korea had feared all along — that North Korea would attempt to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul and gain substantial concessions from an unconventional US president who thinks much less of the traditional alliance than his predecessors.

"The American military presence in South Korea wouldn't mean much if the militaries don't practice through joint drills," said Moon, now a senior analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. </s> The U.S. Defense Department announced Friday that it had “indefinitely suspended select” military exercises with South Korea less than two weeks after President Donald Trump’s historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

“To support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit, and in coordination with our Republic of Korea ally, Secretary Mattis has indefinitely suspended select exercises,” Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement referring to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. “This includes suspending FREEDOM GUARDIAN along with two Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises scheduled to occur in the next three months.

The statement left the door open to further suspensions of joint exercises, as talks with Pyongyang progress and as speculation grows that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will make his third visit to the North in the coming week.

“In support of upcoming diplomatic negotiations led by Secretary Pompeo, additional decisions will depend upon the DPRK continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith,” the statement said, using the acronym for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The decision was reached after Mattis, Pompeo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford, and national security adviser John Bolton met to discuss efforts to implement the results of the Singapore meeting, the statement added.

The North has repeatedly called for an end to the joint exercises, blasting them as a rehearsal for invasion.

The Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises are part of the Okinawa-based III Marine Expeditionary Force’s “dedicated effort to learning and sharing tactics” with South Korean Marine Corps, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. It said the exercises focus on “building personal, enduring relationships” and becoming “more proficient partners.”

Trump abruptly said that he would halt “provocative” U.S.-South Korean “war games” after his summit with Kim on June 12. The decision was formally announced by the Pentagon on Monday. South Korea’s Defense Ministry simultaneously confirmed the suspension of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises. Last year, 17,500 U.S. troops and more than 50,000 South Korean troops joined those drills, although the exercise is mostly focused on computerized simulations rather than field exercises.

The decision, which apparently came without consultations with Seoul or the Pentagon, surprised many in South Korea and the United States who see training as a central pillar of their countries’ decadeslong military alliance dating to the 1950-53 Korean War.

The move has also alarmed Tokyo, which fears the decision could weaken the regional deterrence effect provided by the U.S. military.
After the summit, President Trump says that the U.S. will halt joint military exercises with South Korea.