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AMN / web desk
Terming the military exercise between the US and the South a “provocation”, North Korea today cancelled high-level talks with South Korea, state media reports
The North’s official KCNA news agency said the exercises between the US and the South were a “provocation”.
It also warned the US over the fate of the historic summit between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump that is scheduled for 12 June.
In March, Mr Trump stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Mr Kim.
“We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!” the US leader tweeted at the time.
Some 100 warplanes, including an unspecified number of B-52 bombers and F-15K jets began the Max Thunder drills on Friday.
The US and South Korea insist such drills are purely for defence purposes, and based out of a mutual defence agreement they signed in 1953.
They also say the exercises are necessary to strengthen their readiness in case of an external attack.
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert defended joint US-South Korean military exercises Tuesday and said the US had not heard of any disruptions to either the planned exercises or the upcoming summit.