S Korea, US to announce dates for annual military drills next week

South Korea and the US are set to announce dates for their joint annual military exercises, defence officials said on Friday.

The maneuvers -- Foal Eagle and Key Resolve -- were postponed due to the Winter Olympics.

"At the beginning of the week we will make an announcement regarding plans for the Foal Eagle and Key Resolve military drills," a Defence Ministry spokesperson told Efe news.

The US and South Korea postponed the joint drills normally held between late February and the beginning of March and which North Korea views as a rehearsal for invading its territory - to avoid coinciding with the Olympic and Paralympic Games happening in PyeongChang county until March 18.

The "Olympic thaw" helped the two Koreas, technically still at war, exchange visits of envoys that led to the announcement of two important summits to discuss the possible denuclearisation of North Korea.