Trump drill cut unsettles Seoul, revives Kim diplomacy talk
SCMP · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Donald Trump’s demand to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea has put Seoul in a difficult position just as the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills get under way. In social media posts and later remarks to reporters, Trump described the exercises as costly and hostile, while again praising his personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and suggesting contacts with Pyongyang were progressing positively. Analysts cited by the South China Morning Post say Trump appears to want another round of talks with Kim for a foreign policy win, but they see limited prospects because of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, distrust after the failed 2019 Hanoi summit, and closer ties with Russia and China. Japan has meanwhile stressed that trilateral security cooperation with the United States and South Korea remains critical to regional stability
Key Points
- Trump wrote on Truth Social that the United States should “substantially” reduce joint drills with South Korea, calling them costly and an inappropriate hostile signal.
- His comments came as the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday, a core deterrence activity with about 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.
- Trump said Kim had responded to US outreach and described the exchanges as “very positive”, but offered no details and North Korean state media had not confirmed any reply.
- Trump also rebuked President Lee Jae Myung, saying he asked whether Seoul would join efforts to denuclearise Iran and was told, “No thanks.”
- Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in Australia that cooperation among Japan, the US and South Korea is critical amid the region’s severe security environment
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, any weakening of US-South Korea alliance coordination could add volatility to Northeast Asia, a region central to trade, shipping and financial sentiment across Asia. Trump’s mix of pressure on allies and outreach to Kim also points to a less predictable US security posture, which matters for how regional governments and markets assess geopolitical risk.