Adjusting S. Korea-US joint drills may be discussed if conditions are met: unification ministry
Unification ministry spokesman Yoon Min-ho speaks at a press briefing in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Adjusting South Korea's joint military exercises with the United States may be discussed if the necessary conditions and environment are met, the unification ministry said Monday.
"I think they could possibly be discussed if conditions and the environment come into place in the future," ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho said, when asked whether there has been any change in the ministry's position on discussing adjustments to the allies' drills with other government agencies.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has advocated adjusting major military exercises between Seoul and Washington, as Seoul doubles down on efforts to revive long-stalled dialogue with Pyongyang.
Pyongyang has vehemently reacted to Seoul-Washington military exercises, accusing the allies of conducting "an exercise for an invasion."
Speaking at a press conference the previous day, however, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac dismissed the possibility of downsizing the military exercises as a means of engaging with North Korea on denuclearization.
"While there are many possible options, we are not directly considering using the Korea-U.S. joint exercises as a card," Wi said.
Yoon declined to directly comment on Wi's remarks, saying only, "Combined South Korea-U.S. exercises have important implications not only militarily but also for inter-Korean relations and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula."