South Korea may delay military drills if North behaves

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

South Korea’s proposal to delay allied military drills with the United States until after the 2018 Winter Olympics is dependent on North Korea’s good behavior, an official from Seoul’s Blue House presidential office said Wednesday.

The possible postponement comes amid security concerns as the South Korean venue of PyeongChang prepares to host the Games in February.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, according to local news agency Yonhap, the Blue House official clarified comments attributed to South Korean President Moon Jae-in this week.

While Moon suggested that the allies delay their annual spring exercises, the official insisted he did not propose that they be curtailed at all.

The agreement would remain in force until the end of the Paralympic Games on March 18, though Seoul’s position is that a North Korean provocation “cannot but affect” the allies’ plan.

The North again vowed this week to keep developing nuclear weapons despite drawing international condemnation for its most recent intercontinental ballistic missile test at the end of November.

It remains to be seen whether the allies cement their stance and North Korea can be appeased by an offer to delay, rather than curtail or cancel, exercises that it sees as preparations for war.

But hopes remain high that the reclusive state will take part in PyeongChang 2018 and that the event could even lead to improved inter-Korean ties.

“Because the Olympics is an international event and the North Korean nuclear issue is creating a global crisis, it is only natural that we make efforts to find a solution [to the North Korean nuclear issue] through the Olympic Games if we must,” the official added.