The United States and South Korean governments have agreed to postpone joint military exercises until after next month’s Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, a move that comes after South Korea offered to hold talks with North Korea about the winter games next week.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed reports that the exercises will be held after the Olympics. President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to delay the military drills during a phone call Thursday. Moon had requested the exercises be postponed.

Col. Rob Manning, a spokesman for the Defense Department, told the Washington Examiner that the Pentagon “supports the president’s decision and what is in the best interest of the ROK-U.S. Alliance.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The possibility of talks between North Korea and South Korea arose after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during a New Year’s address Monday he was interested in sending athletes to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

The games are scheduled to begin Feb. 9.

South Korea offered to hold talks between the two countries Jan. 9, and on Wednesday, North and South Korea reopened a cross-border communications link that had been dormant for the last two years.

If North and South Korea do hold talks next week, it would mark the first dialogue between the two countries since December 2015.

As recently as two weeks ago, the U.S. was saying it would not adjust the schedule for military exercises.

At a news conference in Ottawa, Canada, last month, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said there were no changes in the works.

"I’m unaware of any plans to alter longstanding and scheduled and regular military exercises with our partners in South Korea, the Republic of Korea, or with our partners in Japan,” Tillerson said at joint news conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

"These exercises have been ongoing for many years. They are carried out on a scheduled basis. We announced them in advance. There’s no — nothing surprising about them and I’m aware of no — I’m not aware of any plans to change what is scheduled,” Tillerson said, Dec. 19.

The U.S. military has long said the exercises are vital to remaining ready for the defense of South Korea.