In this March 25, 2015, file photo, U.S. Army's Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters fly during a combined arms live-fire exercise during the annual joint military exercise Foal Eagle between South Korea and the United States north of Seoul, South Korea. (Lee Jin-man, File)U.S. and South Korean officials announced Saturday that they will end longtime military exercises that had riled North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s regime and drawn criticism from President Trump. The Pentagon disclosed the decision Saturday evening after a phone call between acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan and his South Korean counterpart, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo. Those elements, the Pentagon leadership has concluded, could be viewed as saber-rattling at a time when the military looks to support diplomacy with North Korea, the official said. They focused on preparing for the possibility of war with North Korea, and involved thousands of troops.

Source: Washington Post March 02, 2019 23:19 UTC