SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) should postpone military exercises with the United States in the hope of drawing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) back into talks, the ROK politician set to take over responsibility for relations with the DPRK said on Thursday.

ROK President Moon Jae-in wants to get dialogue with DPRK back on track after negotiations between the United States and DPRK on its nuclear programme broke down.

Regular military exercises between ROK and US forces have for years infuriated DPRK, which sees the drills as preparations for its invasion.

Lee In-young, who has been nominated as ROK’s next unification minister, said postponing, or at least scaling back, the exercises, which are due to start next month, might convince DPRK to reconsider negotiations.

Regular military exercises between ROK and US forces have for years infuriated DPRK, which sees the drills as preparations for its invasion

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“If the exercises take place as planned, North Korea’s backlash will be strong but if they are completely postponed, it might take it as a fresh message,” Lee told a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

“If we can show flexibility by scaling it back by around half or moving its location further south, North Korea would respond accordingly.”The DPRK is also referred to as North Korea.

ROK and the United States are discussing the scale, scope and timing of the annual drills now that the novel coronavirus has disrupted the travel of US troops.

Questions over the exercises come after a period of rising tension with DPRK, which appears increasingly frustrated that talks with both ROK and the United States, including three meetings between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump since 2018, have brought no easing of sanctions.

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Last month, DPRK blew up a joint liaison office on its side of the border, severed hotlines with ROK and threatened military action, angry about defector groups sending anti-DPRK propaganda leaflets.

Trump has in the past questioned the value of the drills and in 2018 even suggested to Kim that he would end them.

There are about 28,000 US troops in ROK.