The Pentagon denied a report from South Korean media that Air Force B-52s will no longer be taking part in military drills between the U.S. and South Korea, saying the bombers were never supposed to participate.
“The scope of Max Thunder has not changed,” Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Logan said Wednesday.
The Defense Department was responding to a report from South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, which said the B-52 bombers had been pulled from the joint military drills. Yonhap cited a military source in Seoul.
The U.S. and South Korea recently began spring exercises on the Korean Peninsula called Max Thunder and Foal Eagle, the Pentagon said.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning said the purpose of the exercises are to “enhance interoperability and readiness.”
The exercises between the two countries led North Korea to cancel discussions with the South that were scheduled to occur Wednesday, South Korean media reported. The rogue regime reportedly believed the drills were in preparation for an invasion of North Korea.
The North also warned the U.S. that continued participation in the drills could jeopardize President Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which is scheduled to take place June 12 in Singapore.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday she was aware of the reports.
“The United States will look at what North Korea has said independently, and continue to coordinate closely with our allies,” Sanders said.
Travis J. Tritten contributed to this report.
