Schedule for ROK-US war game to be unveiled after Winter Olympics

SEOUL - Schedule for the annual the Republic of Korea (ROK)-US war game, which was delayed during the period of the 23rd Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, will be unveiled after the Paralympic Games ending in mid-March, ROK's defense chief said Tuesday.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo told a parliamentary defense committee that US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and he will announce the exact schedule for the joint military exercises sometime between March 18 and the end of March, as the Paralympic Games end on March 18.

The Winter Olympics, which kicked off on Feb 9 in ROK's east county of Pyeongchang, would run till Feb 25. The Paralympic Games will follow it from March 9 to March 18 at the same venue.

ROK and the United States had agreed to postpone their joint annual war games, codenamed "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle," to make the Winter Olympics a peace Olympic.

The announcement of schedule for the ROK-US military drills would throw a wet blanket on the emerging signs of a thaw in ties between ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which denounces the war games as a rehearsal for northward invasion.

The DPRK sent its athletes and cheerleaders, as well as a high-ranking delegation to the ROK-hosted winter sports event, showing its willingness to improve inter-Korean relations and ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The ranking DPRK delegation included Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un. She attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics and met with ROK's President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House of ROK.

The younger Kim delivered the DPRK leader's invitation to Moon to visit Pyongyang at his convenient time, opening a possibility for the third inter-Korean summit meeting.

Moon replied by saying the two Koreas should create conditions to make it happen, and asked the DPRK to more actively talk with the United States.

The first inter-Korean summit was held in 2000 between then ROK's President Kim Dae-jung and late DPRK leader Kim Jong-il, father of the current leader.

The second one was held in 2007 between then ROK's President Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Jong-il.