The government in Seoul is asking the U. S. to delay joint military exercises so North Korea isn’t provoked.
The South Korean government has asked the U. S. to delay the next round of joint military exercises until after next year’s Olympics, President Moon Jae-in told NBC News Tuesday. The move, which Moon said the U. S. is considering, would likely be seen as an olive branch by Kim Jong-un, allowing all of those attending the Olympics in February and the Special Olympics in March to be reasonably sure that they won’t die in a nuclear inferno.
Moon also called on Pyongyang to scale back its nuclear and missile tests ahead of the Games. “If North Korea stops its provocations leading up to the Pyeongchang Olympics, it will greatly help in holding a safe Olympics,” he said.
The 2018 Winter Games will be held 50 miles from the DMZ in Pyeongchang, a sleepy mountain town that was initially confused with the North Korean capital by some International Olympic Committee members. The opening ceremony will take place on February 9, and despite safety concerns from several participating countries, none will be keeping its athletes at home.
