(LEAD) Trump says N. Korea's Kim has responded to his dialogue overture

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has responded to his overture for dialogue, following his announcement to substantially reduce South Korea-U.S. military exercises. This move came as speculation grew over whether the reduced exercises could facilitate the resumption of talks with Pyongyang, despite the ongoing cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

When asked about Kim's lack of response to his request for talks, Trump replied, "How do you know he hasn’t responded?" Later, he confirmed that Kim had indeed responded, though he did not disclose the details of their interaction or the topics discussed. Trump described their conversation as "very positive." In a recent statement on Truth Social, Trump indicated that he has tasked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with substantially scaling back military drills with South Korea, citing his "very good" relationship with Kim and expressing dissatisfaction with the U.S.'s participation in those exercises.

The president argued that these drills are not only costly but also send an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea, emphasizing that they had been respectful and unthreatening during his term. Trump asserted that his actions are making the security situation much safer, contradicting the notion of prioritizing North Korea's interests over America's ally, South Korea.

He claimed that Kim has always treated him with great respect and that they have had numerous face-to-face meetings, including three in-person summits during his first term. Trump also mentioned a conversation with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who declined to assist the U.S. in its dispute with Iran, despite South Korea's annual financial contribution of nearly $3 billion to the upkeep of U.S. Forces Korea.