Japanese officials said Tuesday they hope the strong U.S. security role that has underpinned the Asia-Pacific region for decades will remain unchanged despite Washington's decision to suspend a major military drill held every year with South Korea.
"In any case...we understand that the United States will not change its commitment to the Japan-U.S. alliance and the structure of its military in Japan," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference.
The decision to halt the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise, scheduled for August, was announced by Seoul and Washington a week after U.S. President Donald Trump held an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
During a post-summit press conference, Trump expressed his willingness to suspend "war games" with South Korea if North Korea, which has promised to give up its nuclear weapons, continues talks in good faith.
Trump also said that halting the drills is reasonable as they are "tremendously expensive" and "provocative" in an announcement that took Washington's security allies in Asia and some U.S. defense officials and experts by surprise.
Amid concerns over a potential U.S. retreat from its postwar role in the region's security architecture, Suga, Japan's top government spokesman, emphasized that the premise of the suspension is that North Korea engages in what U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called "productive, good-faith negotiations."
In a similar vein, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the decision will have no impact on U.S military exercises with Japan.
（Top government spokesman Suga)
Despite a significant defusing of tensions this year, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera also said Japan's assessment of threats posed by North Korea remains the same as before and it will continue to closely watch Pyongyang's behavior.
"There is no impact on Pacific exercises outside of the Korean Peninsula," U.S. Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. "We are still coordinating additional actions. No decisions on subsequent war games have been made."
But senior Japanese government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are concerned the suspension of the military exercise could weaken deterrence provided by the United States.
Japanese defense authorities believe that regular military drills between South Korea and the United States have exerted effective pressure on North Korea.
"Since the summit, North Korea has done nothing," a senior Defense Ministry official said. "The announced suspension does not fit with the consideration that should be given (to Pyongyang)."
Within the ministry, there are some concerns that Trump's willingness to reduce U.S. troop levels in South Korea in the future could alter the military balance in Northeast Asia.
