Washington is currently “reviewing” Seoul’s proposal to delay the start of two annual joint US-South Korean military drills until after the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, President Moon Jae-in said.
South Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics from February 9 to March18, which it hopes will conclude peacefully without any provocations from its northern neighbor. To further ensure safety, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is proposing “curtailing” the annual Foal Eagle and Key Resolve military drills with the US, which would likely coincide with the Olympics.
“It is possible for South Korea and the US to review the possibility of postponing the drill,” Moon told NBC on Tuesday. “I have made such suggestion to the US, and the US is currently reviewing [the proposal].”
However, the decision whether to postpone the drills “depends” on North Korea’s behavior leading up to the games, he added.
“If North Korea stops its provocations leading up to the Pyeongchang Olympics, it will greatly help in holding a safe Olympics,” the South Korean president said. “Also, it will help in creating conducive atmosphere towards inter-Korean as well as US-North Korean dialogue.”
Following the NBC interview, the South Korean presidential office again stressed that the joint drills will only be postponed if the North stops its military provocations.
