The United States will suspend another military exercise with South Korea in effort to facilitate ongoing North Korean denuclearization talks, the Pentagon said Friday, as reports emerged that the next summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump would likely not take place until early next year.
The annual drill, known as Vigilant Ace, was suspended "to give the diplomatic process every opportunity to continue," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Friday in an emailed statement.
Defense ministers from the United States and South Korea "are committed to modifying training exercises to ensure the readiness" of their forces, the statement said, adding that they had "pledged to maintain close coordination and evaluate future exercises."