North Korea canceled a high-level meeting Wednesday with South Korea and threatened also to call off a historic summit planned next month with the United States due to ongoing military exercises between the South and the U.S., South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea canceled a high-level meeting Wednesday with South Korea and threatened also to call off a historic summit planned next month with the United States due to ongoing military exercises between the South and the U.S., South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

The two Koreas were set to hold a meeting later Wednesday at a border truce village to discuss setting up military and Red Cross talks aimed at reducing border tension and restarting reunions between families separated by the Korean War.

But hours before the meeting was to take place, Pyongyang canceled the meeting and also questioned whether next month’s talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump would happen, Yonhap reported, citing North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency.

“The United States will also have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned North Korea-U.S. summit in light of this provocative military ruckus jointly conducted with the South Korean authorities,” KCNA reported.

The two-week military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea started Friday and included about 100 warplanes, Yonhap said.

On Tuesday, South Korea’s military said North Korea was moving ahead with plans to close its nuclear test site next week, an assessment backed by U.S. researchers who say satellite images show the North has begun dismantling facilities at the site.

The site’s closure was set to come before Kim and Trump’s summit, which had been shaping up to be a crucial moment in the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with the North. </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> SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of -- South Korea and the U.S. are ending their massive springtime military drills as part of efforts to support diplomacy aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis.

The decision announced by both countries Sunday came three days after a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam without any agreement.

The Pentagon says the U.S. and South Korean defence chiefs decided to conclude the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle series of exercise.

It says the allies agreed to maintain firm military readiness through newly designed command post exercises and revised field training programs.

North Korea has called the allies' drills an invasion rehearsal and responded with its own costly military exercises. </s> • The annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises will begin on April 1.
• The exercises were postponed for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
• The exercises are expected to be "at a scale similar to" that of previous years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — At a potentially pivotal moment of diplomacy with North Korea, the Pentagon said Monday that annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that had been postponed for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will begin April 1.

In a brief statement, the Pentagon said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his South Korean counterpart, Song Young-moo, agreed to go forward with the maneuvers, known as Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, "at a scale similar to" that of previous years.

North Korea has been notified of the schedule "as well as the defensive nature" of the exercises, the Pentagon said.

President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands during a meeting at South Korea’s presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, November 7, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The timing and size of the annual maneuvers are especially sensitive this year because of heightened tension over the North's accelerated work last year on a nuclear-armed missile potentially capable of reaching the United States - followed, unexpectedly, by prospects for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis.

North Korea typically objects to U.S.-South Korean military exercises, calling them dress rehearsals for an invasion. Washington and Seoul insist they are defensive and are needed to keep allied forces combat-ready.

After recent high-level talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean officials said Kim indicated his acceptance of the maneuvers. Kim also offered to meet personally with President Donald Trump to discuss giving up his nuclear weapons on unspecified terms, and Trump quickly agreed. The time and place of the unprecedented talks have not been set, but the White House indicated the summit would happen by May.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to set the stage for that summit by meeting with Kim in April in the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas.

South Korean and US Marines aim their weapons near amphibious assault vehicles during the US-South Korea joint landing military exercises in Pohang, south of Seoul, South Korea, March 30, 2015. Lee Jin-man/AP

It had been widely expected that the U.S.-South Korean military exercises would go ahead, even with the new prospects for diplomacy. Some have speculated that the maneuvers would be scaled back, but the Pentagon said they would be conducted at "the same scale, scope and duration" as in previous years.

The larger of the two exercises, Foal Eagle, is a field training exercise with about 11,500 U.S. troops and about 290,000 South Korean troops, according to a Pentagon spokesman, Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Logan. The other, known as Key Resolve, will involve about 12,200 U.S. troops and about 10,000 from South Korea.

"To avoid compromising exercise objectives, specifics regarding the exercise scenarios will not be discussed," Logan said, adding that the purpose is to "enhance" the ability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance to defend South Korean territory.

The U.S. has about 28,500 troops permanently stationed in South Korea and is obligated by treaty to defend the South in the event it is attacked by the North. The two Koreas are still technically at war because their 1950-53 war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. </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 Pentagon has announced indefinite suspension of select military exercises in South Korea, in compliance with the agreement reached in Singapore between the US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"To support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit and in coordination with senior South Korean officials, Defence Secretary James N. Mattis has indefinitely suspended select military exercises on the Korean Peninsula," chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said in a statement on Friday, Efe news reported.

In addition to the already announced suspension of the joint "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" exercises in August, the Pentagon also cancelled two Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises which were scheduled for the next three months.

The decision was announced after Mattis met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford, and US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Friday.

The statement adds that "additional decisions will depend upon North Korea continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith". </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> 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> 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
North Korea cancels high-level talks with South Korea in protest of United States–South Korea joint military exercises.