<span style="color: #222222;">United States and South Korea said today said that they will end their annual large-scale joint military exercises as Washington pursues efforts to improve ties with North Korea. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The decision comes days after the conclusion of US President Donald Trump's second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which ended without a formal agreement but with both sides suggesting they would keep talking.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr Trump has ruled out withdrawing any of the 28,500 US forces based in South Korea to defend it from its nuclear-armed neighbour, which invaded in 1950. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">According to a Pentagon statement, during a phone call between South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his US counterpart Patrick Shanahan yesterday both sides decided to conclude the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle series of exercises.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Foal Eagle is the biggest of the regular joint exercises held by the allies, and has always infuriated Pyongyang.In the past, it has involved 200,000 South Korean forces and some 30,000 US soldiers.</span><br />''