The United States will maintain its military contingent in South Korea, said the U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Seoul.

“The recent decision to suspend the Freedom Guardian exercise creates increased opportunity for our diplomats to negotiate, increasing prospects for a peaceful solution on the Korean peninsula,” Reuters reported quoting Mattis. 

Last week, South Korea announced the suspension of military drills for the successful continuation of the dialogue with the North Korea following the decision to suspend  US-South Korean joint Freedom Guardian exercise.

Military drills in South Korea are constantly causing irritation and alarm in Pyongyang. The U.S. President Donald Trump said he intends to suspend drills after meeting in Singapore the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un,