South Korea announces: Major amphibious exercise with the US canceled due to Iran war
Seoul announced that the US stated it could not participate in next month's Ssangyong amphibious exercise, citing force constraints in the Middle East.
South Korea has announced that a large-scale joint amphibious landing exercise planned with the US for next month has been canceled. The Seoul administration cited the US's force constraints due to the ongoing Iran war in the Middle East as the reason for the cancellation.
South Korean Marine Corps spokesperson Han Seung-jeon said at a press conference that the US Marine Corps had officially notified its South Korean counterparts in June.
The US Marine Corps officially notified our troops in June that its capacity to participate in this year's Ssangyong exercise was limited due to the situation in the Middle East.
Han stated that discussions between Seoul and Washington regarding the resumption of the Ssangyong exercise are ongoing but did not share details. The Pentagon has not yet made a statement on the matter.
The biennial Ssangyong exercise is known as one of the most comprehensive amphibious training operations conducted with the participation of South Korean and US marines. The exercise tests landing scenarios involving warships, aircraft, and ground troops.
TRUMP HAD SHORTENED THE EXERCISE DURATION
The cancellation decision came after US President Donald Trump reduced the duration of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise from 11 days to 5 days last week. While citing high costs as the reason, Trump argued that such exercises send an "inappropriate and hostile" message to North Korea.
Trump's decision is linked to his efforts to revive the dialogue he established with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first presidential term. In a statement last week, Trump emphasized that it is important to "get along" with Kim and claimed that Pyongyang possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.
Seoul authorities, however, state their estimates for the number of North Korea's nuclear weapons in the range of 80 to 120. Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term; however, the 2019 Hanoi summit ended without an agreement on denuclearization.
News Source: 12punto
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