South Korea and the United States have announced they will scrap huge annual military drills as a peace offering to North Korea who have long seen the drills as invasion rehearsals.
The Pentagon and South Korea’s defence ministry say the move is part of an effort to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula, and aid the resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Some military experts say the cancellation will likely weaken the allies’ military readiness, amid fears of tensions erupting in the wake of the failed nuclear summit in Vietnam last week.