GOP senator: US should continue military exercises with South Korea if North Korea talks break down

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said Sunday that the U.S. should restart its military exercises with South Korea if talks between Washington and Pyongyang break down. 

“I think we should continue with military exercises,” Ernst said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “Obviously I believe they have a purpose in keeping the [Korean] Peninsula safe … so I would say soon if we don’t see those talks continue.”

President Trump agreed during a landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month to halt joint military drills with South Korea as he sought to secure a commitment from Pyongyang to end its nuclear program.

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That announcement was touted as a win by Trump, who complained that the routine exercises were provocative and expensive for the U.S.

But many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle defended the drills as necessary to strengthen Washington’s alliance with Seoul and prepare for a potential conflict in the region.

Ernst’s comments came a day after North Korea snubbed U.S efforts to push for an end to the country’s nuclear ambitions, accusing Washington of making “gangster-like” demands following a visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

Pompeo later defended his most recent talks in Pyongyang, calling them “productive.”