During the Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis stated that future military exercises with South Korea will go on as usual, Reuters reported.
“We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises,” he said.
The White House had earlier decided to suspend some exercises as a gesture of goodwill during nuclear negotiations with North Korea.
North Korea has long opposed the war games, calling them provocations.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have soured since President Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June.
Previously on Friday Trump tweeted his dissatisfaction, saying that he asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to cancel his planned trip to North Korea.
“I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula…Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime, I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!”
Although North Korea returned what are believed to be the remains of fallen U.S. service members from the Korean War and hasn’t tested any missiles or nuclear devices since the Singapore meeting, there have been no other signs that the nation is moving toward denuclearization.
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