U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 1 that he would accept a reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea. This is a core issue that has been raised by South Korea and the U.S. in the past. In response to a reporter's question about the joint military exercises with South Korea at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 1, President Trump said, "I think we will reduce, yes. At some point, I think we will reduce." When asked if he had discussed the issue with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, he replied, "We have discussed it many times." The joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. have been conducted in various forms and scales over the years. The large-scale exercises, known as Max Thunder and Key Resolve, were suspended or reduced under the Trump administration. In particular, the Max Thunder exercise, which was conducted every year in May, was canceled in 2018. The Key Resolve exercise was also renamed and scaled down. The South Korean government has expressed its position that it is desirable to maintain the joint military exercises at a level that does not hinder the denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. However, President Trump's remark that "we will reduce" the joint military exercises seems to be a different line from the South Korean government. The U.S. has not officially announced a decision to reduce the joint military exercises. The South Korean government has not made a clear statement on the issue. The issue of reducing the joint military exercises is likely to be a topic of discussion at the upcoming summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam. Some analysts say that President Trump may be trying to use the card of North Korea to get out of the crisis with Iran. President Trump has been trying to hold negotiations with North Korea and Iran, which are major nuclear issues, at the same time. In particular, the U.S. is experiencing a difficult situation in its negotiations with Iran, and some analysts say that President Trump may be trying to use the card of North Korea to get out of the crisis with Iran. In response to a question about the possibility of a summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, President Trump said at a press conference, "I'm always open to a summit." However, he also said, "But I also think that at some point, we have to have a very, very strong border." The U.S. and Iran have been in a tense situation since President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. The U.S. has imposed economic sanctions on Iran, and Iran has responded by gradually abandoning its nuclear commitments under the Iran nuclear deal. The situation between the U.S. and Iran is currently in a state of stalemate. In this situation, President Trump's remark that "we will reduce" the joint military exercises with South Korea seems to be an attempt to use the card of North Korea to get out of the crisis with Iran.
President Donald Trump has emphasized a "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while ordering a massive reduction in joint US-ROK military drills, according to sources. As the US-Iran war drags on, observers speculate whether Trump is shifting diplomatic focus to North Korea to find a new opening. On May 16, Trump posted on Truth Social, "Considering my very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," requesting Defense Secretary Pavol Hagey to "drastically reduce" the joint exercises.
Trump argues that the drills are "inappropriate and adversarial signals" to a North Korea that previously appeared non-threatening and respectful during his presidency. This directive follows a string of recent messages toward North Korea, after Trump expressed his desire to re-engage with the country at the G7 leaders' summit in June.
Trump previously announced the suspension of joint drills right after the 2018 Singapore summit with Kim. According to the CSIS Korea Desk, if Kim Jong-un adopts a strategy different from conventional expectations, it could prompt a meeting between Trump and Jong-un, covering topics like a peace treaty, ending hostility, and suspending joint exercises.
This move intersects with the ongoing US-Iran war and the President's struggles to find a clear solution amidst the November midterm elections. In Trump's announcement, he also asked President Yoon Suk-yeol about Iran's nuclear disarmament willingness, but received a "no" in response. The Financial Times connects this to a "somewhat related matter" in the US-ROK drills, potentially heightening tensions in US-North Korea relations.
However, the extent to which "Kim Jong-un's favor" could lead to actual US-North Korean negotiations remains uncertain. North Korea has continued launching ballistic missiles and has criticized the joint exercises as "invading war drills." The outcome of this maneuver will depend on North Korea's reaction.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.