US, South Korea joint drills to restart after PyeongChang Paralympics
(VOVWORLD) - US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday the Foal Eagle joint military exercises with South Korea will be delayed until after the 2018 Paralympics concludes in mid March.
 US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (center)and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo (left) visited Paju, South Korea in December 27, 2017 (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
The Paralympics follows the Winter Olympic Games to be held in South Korea’s PyongChang next month. Mattis’ announcement came after South Korea proposed talks with North Korea on their participation in the PyongChang Olympics.
US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in have agreed to ease tensions during the Winter Olympics, saying that the postponement enables both sides to better focus on the Games’ security. But Secretary Mattis added that the delay is simply due to logical concerns.
South Korean officials said that North Korea has accepted Seoul’s offer to attend high-level talks next week on the Olympic Games.