The U.S. and South Korea began a joint military drill earlier this week at the Southern end of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has always regarded joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea as a direct threat and as an open show of their desire to kill the Kim regime. The subject became such a sore spot between all three nations that during the early talks with North Korea, joint military training was suspended to keep from offending the hermit kingdom. Up to this point, the North Korean government has remained unusually quiet about the training exercise. Tomorrow, an aid to Kim Jong Un is scheduled to meet with the U.S. Secretary of State in New York as part of a follow-up to the Singapore Summit.
Analyst Notes
It is probable that North Korea will push for a sharp decrease in the annual training exercises which the U.S. and South Korea conduct. If this request is not met, it is possible that government and defense industry targets in the U.S. and South Korea could once again find themselves in North Korean cross-hairs. Though less likely, it is still possible that North Korea has finally come to the realization that if they wish to achieve a lasting and real peace with the U.S. and South Korea, that they will have to learn to endure some of the smaller exercises conducted between the U.S. and South Korea, especially ones like these which take place far from the DMZ.
