WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo have agreed to resume their annual combined exercises, including Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, which were deconflicted with the schedule of the Olympic Games.
Resumption Planned April 1
The exercises are expected to resume April 1 at a scale similar to that of the previous years, Pentagon officials said in a statement released last night.
North Korea Notified
The United Nations Command has notified North Korea's army on the schedule as well as the defensive nature of the annual exercises, officials said.
In accordance with the previous practices, officials added, the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe the exercises to confirm their compliance with the armistice agreement.
Navy Seaman Apprentice Aaliyah Ramos, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, and South Korean construction battalion sailors set an I-beam while rebuilding a damaged pier at the South Korean Naval Education and Training Command in Jinhae, South Korea, March 14, 2017. The construction was part of Foal Eagle, an annual, bilateral training exercise designed to enhance the readiness of U.S. and South Korean forces and their ability to work together during a crisis. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Torrey W. Lee