U.S., S. Korea mull scaling back joint drills over virus epidemic

The United States and South Korea are considering scaling back joint military exercises planned for the spring over the outbreak of a new coronavirus, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday.Esper, speaking at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeong Doo after their talks at the Pentagon, also said that South Korea should shoulder more of the costs of hosting the U.S. military.South Korea has been hit by a surge in virus infection cases in recent days. More than a dozen members of the South Korean military have also been infected.The joint exercises, held eve…READ FULL ARTICLE