S. Korea, U.S. to decide on naval exercises in step with U.N. action on N. Kor

Yonhap News ^ | 6/28/2010 | Yonhap News

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

South Korea and the United States are expected to fix dates for their joint naval exercises after assessing progress in Seoul's diplomatic efforts to rebuke North Korea at the U.N. Security Council, an official here said Monday.

The two countries agreed last month to hold the drills after a multinational team of investigators blamed North Korea for torpedoing a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, in the Yellow Sea on March 26. The attack left 46 sailors dead.

Seoul has referred the incident to the Security Council, urging its members to punish North Korea.

"The dates for the joint exercises are expected to be fixed after watching progress in discussions of the Cheonan incident at the U.N. Security Council," the official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on the condition of anonymity.

The large-scale, anti-submarine drills were initially set for early this month, but were postponed to give the U.S. more time for preparations. It was rescheduled for this week, but was again delayed.

Officials here have said the U.S. plans to send the 97,000-ton USS George Washington, an Aegis-equipped destroyer and a nuclear submarine for the exercises. A 4,500-ton destroyer, a submarine and F-15K fighter jets are to participate from the Seoul side.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

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