Some outlets are reporting this afternoon that North Korea has suspended talks with South Korea and plans to do the same with the United States:
BREAKING: North Korea suspends talks with South Korea over S.Korea-U.S military drills, North Korean state news agency KCNA reports. Talks between the Koreas were set to resume Wednesday.
— David P Gelles (@gelles) May 15, 2018
BREAKING — North Korea has suspended talks with South Korea, because of a military drill conducted by South Korea and the US, North Korean state news agency KCNA reports.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 15, 2018
The talks between the Koreas were set to resume Wednesday. KCNA said the Max Thunder 2018 air combat drill was against the Panmunjom declaration – signed last month by N and S Korea. KCNA labelled the Max Thunder drills a “deliberate provocation”.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 15, 2018
North Korean state news: the US should carefully consider the fate of the North Korea- US summit, in view of what it calls “provocative military disturbances with South Korea" (the joint US/S Korea military exercise)
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 15, 2018
More from ABC News:
North Korea is threatening to cancel its upcoming summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump over South Korea-U.S.military drills, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing North Korean state media.
North Korea has also canceled high-level talks with South Korea that were scheduled for Wednesday local time over those same drills, according to Yonhap.
Hmmm … that certainly doesn’t sound good.
Kim rattling cages? https://t.co/aWW3UzJMhN
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) May 15, 2018
Well, that worked out great. https://t.co/3sHw86j5Bz
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) May 15, 2018
Over before it even started
— Gretchen Meise (@later_tatter) May 15, 2018
But is it real?
State Department: We have no information about Kim Jon Un canceling summit over military exercises
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 15, 2018
State Department: We are operating under the notion that the meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un is happening next month
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 15, 2018
.@statedeptspox says "We have not heard anything from that government or the government of South Korea to indicate that we would not continue conducting these exercises or that we would not continue planning for our meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un next month.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/LDoren/status/996473812182097920
Guess we’d better stay tuned to see how this turns out.
Well at least we got the three prisoners https://t.co/u3ZWDeb4Ay
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) May 15, 2018
Sigh.
***
Update:
A senior administration official tells @jeffzelenycnn the White House is currently preparing a response to North Korea’s warning about the fate of the Singapore summit. Meetings are underway now between WH officials and the National Security Council and Defense Department.
— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskCNN) May 15, 2018