S. Korea in close consultations with U.S. over joint military drills: official

By Park Boram

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has been in close consultation with the United States over their joint military exercises and will continue to do so in the future, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Tuesday.

Wi's remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in joint military exercises with Seoul, a move widely seen as an overture for dialogue with North Korea but feared by many here that it may delay Seoul's efforts to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) of troops from the United States.

"Based on the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance, our government has been continuing coordination with the U.S. side on combined exercises and drills between South Korea and the U.S.," Wi told reporters, adding the countries will "continue such coordination in the future."

The national security adviser said Seoul is also stepping up efforts to strengthen its own defense capabilities.

Trump's instruction has spawned concerns that a scale-back in joint military exercises could hamper assessments of the South Korean military's operational capabilities, which are needed to move forward with Seoul's plan to regain wartime OPCON.

At a Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed his commitment to regaining wartime OPCON during his term, which ends in 2030, as initially planned.

In a social media post, Trump also said he had recently asked Lee whether Seoul would like to join the effort to denuclearize Iran, and was told, "No thanks."

Addressing the remarks, Wi said Seoul has been actively participating in international discussions aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz from the start, as well as global non-proliferation efforts.

The government has also been reviewing options for making practical contributions to such efforts, taking into consideration the country's defense posture on the Korean Peninsula and relevant domestic legal procedures, he said.

On Iran's denuclearization, in particular, South Korea has a "keener interest" than others, Wi stressed, highlighting the country's experience in dealing with North Korea's nuclear ambition in defiance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The national security adviser expressed hope that friendly relations between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as highlighted by Trump's recent social media messages, would lead to meaningful dialogue between the two countries and the resumption of talks aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

In a prior social media message, Trump posted a photo of him meeting Kim in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in 2019, saying that he and Kim "get along great."