Mattis says US won’t suspend more S Korea military drills

Bloomberg

The US doesn’t plan to suspend more joint military drills with South Korean forces, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said, amid reports that North Korea was rejecting American demands for Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear warheads.
“We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, adding that the Defense Department hasn’t made decisions about major annual drills expected next year. “We’ll make decisions on that in consultation with State.”
Mattis said he was working in coordination with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s diplomatic efforts— “it’s all riding on Secretary Pompeo’s shoulders,” he said—but he also signalled that smaller-scale exercises are going ahead. In an apparent response to more routine training efforts, North Korea has stepped up criticism recently, saying American forces are conducting covert military rehearsals for an invasion.
President Donald Trump in June suspended what he called “war games” with Seoul, saying he believed Kim “wants to get it done” on denuclearization. He added, “I do trust him.” The US decision was “a good-faith measure” to boost diplomatic efforts, Mattis said.
In the months since Trump and Kim met in Singapore, the US has struggled to show signs of progress
in its bid to get North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme. Pompeo conceded before the Senate recently that Kim’s regime continues producing fissile material and has provided no inventory of its nuclear program and facilities.