SEOUL, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Combined U.S.-South Korea military exercises are essential to defending the Korean Peninsula, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Friday, amid recent suggestions from Seoul officials that the drills could be scaled back to help revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
"The way that we exercise is critically important to us going forward," Brunson said during a Zoom webinar hosted by the Korean Defense Veterans Association and the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation. "Peace is maintained by our ability to maintain our readiness, and so we've got to ensure that our exercises remain the cornerstone of all the readiness that we can achieve on the Peninsula."
His remarks come after South Korea's Unification Ministry and President Lee Jae Myung signaled flexibility on downsizing or adjusting the drills as potential leverage in restarting negotiations with North Korea, a shift reflecting the administration's efforts to reopen communication channels
The USFK commander did not directly comment on the proposals but stressed the importance of the two major combined exercises held each spring and summer. The allies have previously scaled back large-scale field drills during periods of diplomacy, including in 2018-19 when Washington and Pyongyang were engaged in summit talks.
