S. Korea halts its own military drill amid dialogue mood

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military has put off its own simulation-based exercise, scheduled for next week, in order to help maintain the momentum of talks with North Korea, a defense official said Wednesday.

The annual command-post practice, called Taegeuk, was scheduled to begin next Tuesday for a three-day run.

"We have decided to postpone it," the official said, requesting anonymity. "We will review ways to conduct it at the most appropriate time and in the optimal manner."

It means this year's exercise has been postponed indefinitely.

The Taegeuk training, launched in 1995, has been held in May or June every year, led by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

This year would be the first time for the military to delay its opening.

On Tuesday, South Korea and the United States announced a decision to suspend all plans for the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, a large-scale war game slated for August, citing the peace mood on the peninsula.

Shortly after his summit meeting with the North's leader Kim Jong-un last week, President Donald Trump told reporters that the allies will halt major combined drills, which he said are costly and provocative.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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