Trump seeks to scale down joint drills in bid to lure Kim back to talks, experts say
U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea could be an attempt to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the negotiating table, experts said Monday. Trump said Sunday that the exercises were costly and sent an "inappropriate and hostile signal" to North Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim and claiming Pyongyang "has been…
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea may be an attempt to coax North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back into dialogue, according to experts. Trump asserted on Sunday that these costly drills conveyed an inappropriate and hostile message to North Korea, emphasizing his strong relationship with Kim and highlighting North Korea's non-threatening and respectful behavior during his tenure.
Since it was too late to cancel the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise outright, as it was already scheduled to commence, Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially diminish the annual drill. This announcement followed Trump's posting of a photograph from their 2019 meeting at Panmunjeom, stating that the two leaders get along GREAT.
South Korea and the U.S. have reportedly maintained close coordination on sustaining a robust combined defense stance and joint exercises and training.
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