South Korea calls for solid US alliance after Trump says 'good relationship' with Kim Jong Un

US President Donald Trump has announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his recent diplomatic outreach, marking their first engagement since Trump's first term. According to Trump, Kim had responded, although details of the response and when it was made are unclear.

The development comes as the US and North Korea may be edging back toward direct communication. Meanwhile, the US has ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military drills with South Korea, which began on the same day as Trump's announcement. Trump described the exercises as "costly" and said they sent a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea.

South Korea has expressed hopes for the resumption of diplomacy between the US and North Korea to ease animosities on the Korean Peninsula. The reduced joint military exercises have created separation between the US and South Korea, with South Korea seeking a solid alliance with the US.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, The Korea Times, The Mainichi — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.