US not scaling back military exercises with South Korea
(VOVWORLD) - The US is not reducing the extent of its military exercises with South Korea, but is building up its military capability, US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said in a press conference on Monday.
 South Korean soldiers participate in the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise in Seoul. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Shanahan said he and South Korea’s Acting Secretary of Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo will talk about joint military exercises coming up in September and lessons learned from the joint military exercises undertaken in March.
Last month, the US Defense Department said the two countries had agreed to discontinue their Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint exercises. South Korean media reported that Shanahan and Jeong had also agreed to maintain robust military readiness through new command post exercises.
North Korea on Monday condemned the joint military exercises, calling them military aggression against Pyongyang that pours cold water on peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula.