After North Korea's furious response to upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has revealed Washington could alter the allies' drills... if it encourages the North back to the dialogue table.<br />Hong Yoo reports.<br />U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that joint military exercises in South Korea could be altered if it helps to advance a diplomatic deal with North Korea to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.<br />Speaking to reporters on a flight en-route to Seoul, Esper said the U.S. will adjust its exercise posture that empowers and helps U.S. diplomats in nuclear talks with the regime.<br />He didn't elaborate on the adjustments that might be contemplated, but he said it would be done in consultation with the South Korean government.<br />This comes after North Korea threatened to retaliate if the U.S. went ahead with its scheduled military drills with Seoul.<br />The pro-North Korea newspaper Chosun Sinbo on Wednesday said the opportunity for dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. will disappear if a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump doesn't take place before the end of the year.<br />South Korea and the U.S. previously reduced the scale of their 2018 and 2019 military exercises hoping it would help convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.<br />But the tactic has yet to bear fruit.<br />While refraining to respond to North Korea's opposition, the U.S. reaffirmed the principle that the two sides can hold simultaneous and parallel discussions on the issue of establishing a peace regime and improving relations related to denuclearization and the security of the regime, which the North has demanded.<br />Esper added that the Trump administration takes seriously North Korea's year-end deadline for progress on North Korea-U.S. diplomacy and another Kim-Trump summit.<br />Hong Yoo, Arirang News.<br />
