Joint military drills called off until after Winter Olympics as North and South Korea get set for talks.
The US and South Korea have agreed to suspend contentious military exercises off the Korean Peninsula until after the Winter Olympic Games in a sign that nuclear tensions with North Korea may be easing.
US President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Thursday that planned talks between Seoul and Pyongyang “are a good thing” as he praised the United States’ “strong” stance and its willingness “to commit our total ‘might’ against the North”.
The two Koreas restored a cross-border hotline on Wednesday that had been shut down since 2016. They also agreed to hold high-level talks next week – the first since 2015 – which will focus on “matters of mutual interest”, including North Korea’s participation in the Winter Olympics.
Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in discussed the situation on the peninsula in a phone call on Thursday.
“The two leaders agreed to de-conflict the Olympics and our military exercises so that United States and Republic of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the Games,” a White House statement said.
