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| Defense Minister Song Young-moo shakes hands with U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift after a meeting at the ministry in Yongsan, central Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap |
By Lee Min-hyung
Defense Minister Song Young-moo hinted Thursday that South Korea and the United States may keep their upcoming joint military exercises low-key in consideration of the peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula.
In a meeting with the outgoing U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift, Song half-jokingly said the U.S. does not have to deploy strategic weapons during the annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills slated to begin at the end of this month. Swift will end his three-year term in May.
"You need not send strategic weapons ― such as nuclear-powered submarines ― this time while serving as commander," Song said.
This was apparently a joke to sympathize with Swift who has had to contend with the escalating nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. However, Song's remarks raised speculation that the allies have already agreed to scale down the exercises.
The meeting between Song and Swift came amid thawing inter-Korean relations with both sides agreeing to hold a summit late next month.
South Korea hopes to extend the rare momentum for peace and reduce military tension on the peninsula by engaging in repeated dialogue with the North.
The regular military drills, delayed until after the closing of the PyeongChang Paralympics, has been one of the major sources of conflict between Seoul and Pyongyang, drawing frequent massive criticism from the North.
President Moon Jae-in has also reiterated his hope to enhance the ongoing reconciliatory ties with Pyongyang. Moon, however, also needs to take into consideration the alliance with the U.S. and unpredictable military provocations from the North.
Against this backdrop, rumors are that Seoul and Washington may further delay the drills, but overseas media said Thursday the upcoming exercises will begin March 31
CNN quoted two defense sources as saying the U.S. has come to an agreement with the South to begin the drills at the end of this month.
A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said: "The defense ministry cannot comment on specific timelines of the exercises until after Song and his U.S. counterpart James Mattis confirm the date in public before the end of the month." The official declined to comment further, citing a recent non-circumvention, non-disclosure (NCND) agreement signed by the two defense chiefs.
Last month, North Korea held what critics call a "silent" military parade, a day before the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, as part of its efforts to minimize unnecessary provocations and join the peace momentum during the sporting event.
The rare gesture for inter-Korean reconciliation has taken shape faster than expected, with the two Koreas exchanging delegations and reaching a consensus to hold a summit in the southern part of the demilitarized zone for the first time in history.
Defense cost talks
On Thursday, Seoul and Washington held their first round of defense cost sharing negotiations to decide how much the South, starting next year, should pay toward the costs of to stationing 28,500 American troops here, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Twenty high-ranking officials from the nation's foreign and defense ministries are expected to hold a series of talks with their American counterparts during the three-day meeting to renew the five-year agreement, which expires at the end of the year.
The foreign ministry has yet to unveil the details, and plans to make public the outcome after completing the negotiations being held in Honolulu.
