韓國請求美國將聯(lián)合軍事演習推遲到冬奧會之后舉行,以降低朝鮮在平昌冬奧會(Pyeongchang Games)期間采取挑釁行動的可能性。首爾方面希望利用這次冬奧會來展示韓國的發(fā)展。
Four people familiar with the situation said Seoul wanted to postpone the start of the annual spring exercises — called Key Resolve/Foal Eagle — until after the Paralympics, which end on March 18. Two of those people said the US was likely to accept the request.
四名知情人士表示,韓國希望將原定春季舉行的代號“關(guān)鍵決斷”(Key Resolve)和“禿鷲”(Foal Eagle)的韓美年度軍事演習推遲到3月18日閉幕的殘奧會之后舉行。其中兩人表示,美國很可能會接受韓方的這一請求。
The move comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen to the point where Seoul and Tokyo are concerned that the Pentagon may be preparing for a strike on North Korea in an effort to convince Kim Jong Un to abandon his weapons programmes.
韓國采取此舉之際,朝鮮半島緊張局勢已升級到讓韓國和日本擔心五角大樓可能正準備對朝進行打擊、以便讓金正恩(Kim Jong Un)明白應放棄其武器計劃的程度。
Bruce Klingner, a Korea expert at the Heritage Foundation, said the move was prudent given the nature of the Kim regime. “Its neighbours are fearful that defensive exercises or a sports event would be used as an excuse for a provocation or deadly attack,” said Mr Klingner.
華盛頓傳統(tǒng)基金會(Heritage Foundation)朝鮮半島問題專家布魯斯•克林納(Bruce Klingner)表示,考慮到金正恩政權(quán)的本性,韓方此舉是慎重的??肆旨{說:“(朝鮮的)鄰居們擔心,防衛(wèi)演習或體育賽事會被當做挑釁或發(fā)動致命攻擊的借口。
“The fear is not unfounded since Pyongyang destroyed a civilian airliner in 1987 in an attempt to derail the 1988 Seoul Olympics.”
“這種擔心不是沒有根據(jù)的,平壤方面曾在1987年炸毀一架民航客機,以求擾亂1988年漢城奧運會(Seoul Olympics)。”
Additional reporting by Bryan Harris in Seoul.
布賴恩•哈里斯(Bryan Harris)首爾補充報道