Special forces' planned training in U.S. canceled due to coronavirus

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- Planned training by a group of special forces troops in the United States has been called off due to the new coronavirus, a military source said Wednesday.

About 30 members of the Army's Special Warfare Command were originally scheduled to visit the U.S. military's Fort Irwin National Training Center for combined training this month, but the plan has been canceled.

It is the latest in a series of combined training exercises between South Korea and foreign troops that have been postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Army's earlier plan to send some 50 service members to the U.S. in March to observe local training has also been put off at the request of the U.S. military.

The two countries are reportedly in talks over the possibility of holding the postponed training in October, but uncertainties linger depending on how the coronavirus situation unfolds, officials said.

On Wednesday, South Korea reported 32 cases of the new virus, raising the nation's total caseload to 11,110. The number of infections reported in barracks stood at 51.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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