US officials REFUSE to rule out MAJOR military drills in South Korea
US officials REFUSE to rule out MAJOR military drills in South Korea:- UNITED States defence officials have refused to rule out conducting major military exercises at the same time as the Winter Olympics in South Korea, despite warnings the drills could provoke a response from the nuclear-armed North.
The South Korean President claimed the earlier this week the US had agreed to consider postponing two training operations scheduled to take place during the PyeongChang Winter Games.
The 17-day event is set to take place just 50 miles from the heavily fortified frontier with the hermit state – well within range of Kim Jong-un’s arsenal of nuclear and conventional weapons.
The regime has repeatedly branded the joint US-South Korea drills as a rehearsal for invasion and threatened to attack American forces training too close to the border.
But US officials have today distanced themselves from Moon Jae-in’s comments and refused to confirm any change in plans.
Pentagon spokesman lieutenant colonel Chris Logan told South Korean news agency Yonhap: “The United States and our allies and partners in the region have long conducted routine exercises to maintain readiness.
“But it would be inappropriate to discuss plans for future exercises at this time.”
In a televised interview earlier this week, South Korean leader Mr Moon said: “It is possible for South Korea and the US to review the possibility of postponing the drill.
“I have made such a suggestion to the US, and the US is currently reviewing.
Source:- https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/895326/north-korea-winter-olympics-PyeongChang-2018-threat-usa-military-drills-world-war-3
