North Korea sees these annual war games as preparation for a US invasion on the divided peninsula and officials in OPyngyang have previously warned they could retalitae with a missile attack on the American mainland.
But despite these threats, and despite the slowly warming relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, South Korea confirmed today the drills will still go ahead.
The exercises had been postponed until after the Winter Olympics in South Korea, which end on March 18. The war games will now be held in April.
Asked when the two countries will hold the postponed drill, South Korean defence minister Song Young-moo told parliament today he and his US counterpart, Jim Mattis, would make an announcement between March 18 and the start of April.
Mr Song said: “The exercise was postponed according to the spirit of the Olympics.
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“We have agreed to uphold the basis until after the Paralympics and not to confirm nor deny anything regarding what we would do after that until we announce it.”
South Korea’s Unification Minister Cho Myong-gyon also confirmed talks to stage the postponed military drill were moving forward.
“I’m aware negotiations are moving towards a direction where the drills will be held,” Cho said in a separate parliamentary session on Tuesday, without elaborating.
The South Korean and US militaries usually hold military exercises called Key Resolve and Foal Eagle in March and April, which can involve as many as 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.
North Korea have already responded furiously to the proposed drills.
The KCNA news agency, which essentially acts as an official mouthpiece for despot Kim Jong-un, said a restart of the exercises would be an “act of ruthlessly trampling even a small sprout of peace that has been now seen on the Korean peninsula”.
They said: “It is a provocative act of chilling the active efforts of the DPRK and enthusiasm of the international community to defuse tension and create a peaceful environment.”