The scale of U.S.-ROK joint exercises is a “bilateral” decision that should be made by the allies, not just Washington, a Pentagon spokesperson stressed in a press briefing on Wednesday, as the two countries prepare to hold drills amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in South Korea.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby added that he does not have any details to share when asked whether the U.S. intends to suspend or scale down the joint exercises scheduled for August.

“As in all military operations and exercises that we conduct on the peninsula, we do it in consultation and close coordination with our ROK allies,” Kirby said.

“That includes discussions about what training events are going to happen, how they’re going to be scoped, when they’re going to occur, how many people are going to participate, what activities they’re going to conduct — all that’s done in close coordination with our South Korean allies,” he said.

Kirby did not directly refer to the COVID-19 situation in South Korea, but he emphasized that training events require a “dynamic” effort that changes over time “to include all kinds of regional security factors as well as the readiness and capabilities of the units involved.”

“It’s not just our decision,” he said. “We work on military readiness in consultation and coordination with our allies. It’s not unilateral. It’s bilateral.”

Shortly after his summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in late May, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that conducting military drills at a normal level would be “difficult” due to ongoing COVID-19 risks.

South Korea this week has seen a record-breaking spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases, leading to strengthened quarantine rules throughout the Seoul metropolitan area.

Meanwhile, Adm. Charles Richard, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), is visiting South Korea this week to discuss the allies’ deterrence posture.

“We obviously [think] readiness on the Korean Peninsula is vital, it’s critical. And we still are committed to that,” Kirby said.

Edited by Bryan Betts