"To Restore Inter-Korean Dialogue and Improve Relations, US-ROK Joint Military Exercises Should Be Postponed or Canceled"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] There has been a claim that postponing or canceling the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises scheduled for next month is necessary to restore inter-Korean dialogue and improve relations.

Kim Sang-gi, Research Fellow at the Peace Research Office of the Korea Institute for National Unification, stated in the online series published on the 25th, 'North Korea-U.S. Relations Since the Inauguration of the Biden Administration: Prospects and Challenges,' that "realistically, without postponing or canceling the March South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, restoring inter-Korean dialogue will be difficult, at least for the time being."

Researcher Kim said, "North Korea presented the suspension of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises as a de facto prerequisite for improving inter-Korean relations through its message to the South at the Party Congress held last January," and predicted, "Postponing or canceling the joint exercises will also improve conditions for resuming North Korea-U.S. dialogue as a measure related to the U.S. withdrawing its hostile policy toward North Korea."

Researcher Kim emphasized, "We must remember that the 2018 Korean Peninsula peace process began with President Moon Jae-in's expression of intent to postpone the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises on December 19, 2017." He added, "First, it is necessary to postpone the March joint exercises to restore inter-Korean dialogue, and then consider forming an inter-Korean military joint committee to discuss military exercises and arms buildup issues."