Anchor: South Korea and the United States plan to hold a smaller-scale joint air drill this winter, replacing the much larger Vigilant Ace exercise for the second year in a row. The move is apparently designed to support diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea.
Choi You Sun has the details.

Report: Officials from South Korea's Defense Ministry and Air Force said on Tuesday that Seoul and Washington are not considering resuming their annual large-scale joint air exercise known as Vigilant Ace this year.

The allies, like last year, plan to hold instead a scaled-back exercise in lieu of Vigilant Ace called a "Combined Flying Training Event" in an effort to support diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea.

Pyongyang strongly objects to the allies' joint drills as it considers them to be a rehearsal for invasion.

The ministry and Air Force announced the news following confusion generated by a Voice of America(VOA) report earlier in the day which cited Pentagon spokesperson Dave Eastburn as saying that the two sides are proceeding with Vigilant Ace in December.

In a statement sent to VOA, Eastburn referred to the drill as the Combined Flying Training Event, not Vigilant Ace.

On Sunday, officials in South Korea said the allies were in agreement on the suspension of the Vigilant Ace air exercise, adding a final decision will be made at the two sides' annual defense dialogue later this month.

Air forces from the two countries are expected to conduct their own air drills and will mobilize dozens of aircraft in a combined exercise to test their combat readiness.

Launched in 2015 and held annually until 2017, the Vigilant Ace exercise saw the participation of a large fleet of American and South Korean aircraft.

In 2017, some 270 aircraft, including radar-evading fighter jets, were mobilized in a show of force against North Korea after a series of nuclear and missile provocations.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.