US-South Korean military exercises to begin April 1

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon says the annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises postponed for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will begin April 1.

The announcement Monday night comes at a potentially pivotal moment in U.S. diplomacy over North Korea's nuclear weapons, with a summit meeting planned for this spring.

In a brief statement, the Pentagon says Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his South Korean counterpart, Song Young-moo, agreed to go forward with the maneuvers "at a scale similar to" that of previous years.

The Pentagon says North Korea has been notified of the schedule "as well as the defensive nature" of the exercises. South Korean officials said recently that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had indicated his acceptance of the maneuvers.

Kim and President Donald Trump have agreed to meet this spring.