S. Korea, US discussing how to hold combined exercise amid pandemic: defense ministry

South Korea and the United States are in talks over how to hold their annual springtime combined exercise in consideration of the coronavirus situation, the defense ministry said Thursday.

The planned exercise has drawn keen attention amid concern that the North could use the exercise as a pretext for provocations in the early months of the administration of US President Joe Biden. Pyongyang has long denounced such drills as a rehearsal for invasion.

The defense ministry has said the exercise will take place as planned, but Unification Minister Lee In-young said Wednesday the two Koreas should come up with a "wise and flexible" solution on the issue to avoid escalating tensions.

Asked to comment on Lee's remark, defense ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan said the combined command post training is a regular exercise that is defensive in nature.

"South Korea and the US are closely coordinating how to hold the combined command post exercise in consideration of the COVID-19 situation," Boo told a regular press briefing.

Defense Minister Suh Wook also said last week South Korea will stage the exercise with the US as planned, adding that Seoul is ready to discuss the issue with Pyongyang via military channels to ease tensions.

Seoul and Washington usually hold major combined military exercises twice a year, along with smaller-scale ones throughout the year. The springtime one is supposed to be held around March.

Since 2018, South Korea and the US have either canceled or scaled back joint drills to back diplomacy with North Korea. (Yonhap)