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N Korea at crossroads

Koreas aim to contain Trump threat with moves toward peace

Agreement ending military drills risks weakening South's alliance with US

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, front left, and North Korean counterpart No Kwang Chol, front right, signed an agreement Sept. 19 to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other."   © Kyodo

TOKYO -- U.S. President Donald Trump has praised the agreements reached at last month's inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, but Washington may come to rue a military deal furthering North-South reconciliation at the cost of potentially tying the hands of American forces.

The accord, signed Sept. 19 by then-South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and North Korean counterpart No Kwang Chol, states that the two countries will "completely cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain, including land, air and sea that are the source of military tension and conflict."

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