{"id":31534,"date":"2018-06-22T23:23:37","date_gmt":"2018-06-22T23:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/22\/mattis-exercises-with-south-korea-indefinitely-suspended\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:38:21","slug":"mattis-exercises-with-south-korea-indefinitely-suspended","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/06\/22\/mattis-exercises-with-south-korea-indefinitely-suspended\/","title":{"rendered":"Mattis says exercises with South Korea \u2018indefinitely suspended\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has \u201cindefinitely suspended\u201d joint military exercises<\/a> with South Korea as part of the agreement to get North Korea to denuclearize, the Pentagon announced late Friday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercises were called \u201cprovocative\u201d by President Donald Trump, who also questioned their cost-effectiveness, and he agreed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to cancel them as part of an agreement reached in Singapore that could lead to North Korea getting rid of its nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the exercises have been an integral part of improving joint operability with South Korea\u2019s military, and they are considered a key part of the U.S. commitment to protect Seoul from a potential attack from the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next exercise, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, was scheduled for August and involved more than 17,500 U.S. service members.<\/p>\n\n\n\t