At a potentially pivotal moment of diplomacy with North Korea, the Pentagon said Monday that annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that had been postponed for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will begin April 1. North Korea typically objects to U.S.-South Korean military exercises, calling them dress rehearsals for an invasion. After recent high-level talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean officials said Kim indicated his acceptance of the maneuvers. It had been widely expected that the U.S.-South Korean military exercises would go ahead, even with the new prospects for diplomacy. "To avoid compromising exercise objectives, specifics regarding the exercise scenarios will not be discussed," Logan said, adding that the purpose is to "enhance" the ability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance to defend South Korean territory.

Source: ABC News March 20, 2018 01:30 UTC