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By Kim Rahn
Following the decision to suspend the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, attention is on what the United States and South Korea can offer North Korea next, if the North's denuclearization process is seen to progress.
Expectations are that the allies may seek to transform the Korean War (1950-53) armistice into a peace treaty, and the North may also show reciprocity by disposing some of its nuclear weapons.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries announced Tuesday they would suspend UFG, slated for August, to keep denuclearization negotiations alive.
The decision came a week after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would suspend joint military exercises, which he called "war games," as long as the negotiations were ongoing, after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, June 12, adding the exercises were "provocative" and "expensive."
North Korea has claimed it would have no reason to have nuclear weapons if military threats from the U.S. were removed and its regime security guaranteed. The UFG suspension is a part of measures to provide regime security, so the decision is expected to help build trust between Washington and Pyongyang before the two sides launch follow-up talks.
Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said the North had taken pre-emptive measures for denuclearization by shutting down its nuclear testing site in Punggye-ri. "The allies are suspending the exercises on condition that Pyongyang keeps up such practical activities and negotiations continue," he said.
As a next stage concession, the U.S. and South Korea may decide to suspend other joint exercises, as the military authorities said they were discussing additional measures. The Key Resolve and Foul Eagle exercises, which are held in spring, could be the next drills affected. This spring, they were delayed until after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics were over.
Trump is also apparently seeking to change the armistice into a peace treaty to fulfill efforts to build "a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula," agreed to during the Trump-Kim summit.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an economic event in Detroit that Trump "has committed to making sure that we alter the armistice agreement and provide the security assurances that Chairman Kim needs," in exchange for Pyongyang's denuclearization.
He did not elaborate on how the armistice would be altered, but experts say the U.S. will move to change it into a peace treaty as a step toward normalizing relations between the two countries.
Pompeo also indicated he would visit Pyongyang soon for follow-up talks on denuclearization details.
To make progress in negotiations, North Korea also needs to take corresponding actions.
The first may be to shut down the missile engine testing site in Dongchang-ri, which Kim Jong-un promised Trump he would do during their summit. This may relieve Washington's concerns over a possible attack on the U.S. mainland.
Pyongyang could also report its nuclear test facilities to international organizations and accept international experts' inspection of them.
