Sudoku‑Size Marine Drills Kick Off Ahead of Pompeo’s North Korea Chat
Just a stone’s throw from the big summit talks, roughly 500 U.S. and South Korean marines have quietly rolled up their sleeves in a small‑scale training drill over on Monday, November 5. It’s a gentle reminder that the military’s still warming up the engine even as diplomatic engines start humming.
Quick Recap: The Military Dance Moves
- US and Korean forces are holding a tight‑rope exercise near the coastal city of Pohang.
- They’re focusing on a handful of roles, keeping the full‑scale “Joint Exercise” marathon on pause since June.
- High seas south of Japan saw the mighty “USS Ronald Reagan” cruise alongside a Canadian warship and several Japanese destroyers —all in that sunshine‑lit pitch to pressure North Korea.
Pompeo’s “Talk‑to‑Talk” Mission
Across the way in New York City, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a Claire Clopinar‑style rant to Face the Nation, saying he’s set to meet Kim Yong Chol later this week. Pompeo’s dream is a significant bite at denuclearisation: “We’ll reach a real breaking point—so that the next summit can actually happen.”
Meanwhile, Washington is expecting a 2019 joint military exercise squad to pick their destiny by December, so the U.S. and Korea are practically riding the same wave of defiant but pre‑emptive urgency.
North Korean Talk‑Button Now:
North Korea (the “Pyongyang Party”) isn’t very shy about warning that a drop in “maximum pressure” and sanctions will have them back to the drawing board on their nuclear plans. A state‑run Ministry of Foreign Affairs mouthpiece declared that, “Improving our ties and sanctions just don’t line up. The U.S. thinks their sig‑nline trick of “sanctions + pressure = denuclearisation” will magically work—well, why, it’s a laugh.”
But back in Seoul, President Moon Jae‑In’s camp is still hoping that talking with North Korea will lead to “big progress.” The president’s spokesperson, Kim Eui‑kyeom, was all‑in but didn’t give the North a present‑tune of the latest scolding.
North’s Cooling Off?
North Korea hasn’t lit up a missile or a nuclear blast for almost a year, and it says it aims to shut down its main test camp and dismantle a handful of other sites. The official line? “The U.S. has put the knot to tie in this knotted Korean picture, and that is exactly where the problems come from.” The North is asking the U.S. for reciprocal concessions, while America stays rigid, insisting that sanctions stay until a solid next step is verified.
Wrap‑up: The Big Picture
As Pompeo scripts his first North Korean conversation, and a tiny Japanese‑accompanied carrier cruise, the world watches to see if the tranquil nature of a sketchy training session matches the larger diplomatic drama—keeping the smile on Korea’s side, the worry in the U.S., and a dash of irony in the North.
