Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and General Joe Dunford, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff met with National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday to discuss "efforts to implement the results of the Singapore Summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Friday evening.
"To support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit, and in coordination with our Republic of Korea ally, Secretary Mattis has indefinitely suspended select exercises," White said in the release on Friday night. "This includes suspending Freedom Guardian along with two Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises scheduled to occur in the next three months."
The Pentagon previously announced the cancellation of Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises for 2018. The US Defense Department went one step further by announcing that UFG would also be suspended in future years until further notice, according to a statement released Friday evening.
According to the DoD, these decisions have been taken to "support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit" between Trump and Kim that took place June 12.
"In support of upcoming diplomatic negotiations," White said, "additional decisions will depend upon the DPRK continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith."
Meanwhile, the South Korean Defense Ministry noted that the measure might be taken to create favorable conditions for North Korea’s nuclear disarmament.
