The United States, South Korea and Japan agreed to change flight plans for at least two nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to avoid the Korean Peninsula, two U.S. defense officials told CNN.
North Korea's objection to nearby U.S. military exercises and Pyongyang's suggestion that the upcoming summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump could be canceled came ahead of the decision.
North Korea threatened to call off the planned summit Trump and Kim Jong Un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.
Officials said Friday it wasn't clear to them whether Kim's statement led the U.S. to fold on its plans. They said the move was part of an effort to try to avoid North Korea being able to claim the U.S. was engaging in provocative behavior.
The officials said the bomber flights that have been going on for several years aren't considered military exercises. The Pentagon declined to comment.
"We continue to coordinate with our allies but for operational security reasons we cannot comment on future or ongoing operations. This would also include our decision-making process," said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Logan.But Logan also noted "continuous Bomber Presence missions are part of a routine, forward deployed, deterrence capability supporting regional security and our allies in the Indo-Pacific region."
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