Why South Koreans thought Trump's drill decision was 'fake news'

A South Korean military expert expressed concern that President Donald Trump's decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea was viewed as a "fake news" by many citizens in the region. The president claimed that these drills sent a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea, and that he believed reducing them would make the region safer. However, North Korea has fired ballistic missiles toward Japan in response to such exercises in the past, which it considers an "invasion rehearsal."

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to end the Korean War officially, but many South Koreans initially thought Trump's message was a hoax. Lieutenant General In-bum Chun, a retired South Korean military officer, said that North Korea has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons and that curtailing the military exercises would not help. He added that the only way to get Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table is by recognizing him and North Korea as a nuclear weapons state.

Some analysts are skeptical that North Korea would agree to discuss denuclearization, given its history of accelerating its nuclear program since the last US meetings. They also fear that South Korea's loss of trust in the US could strengthen the voices in the country that support acquiring nuclear weapons. However, President Trump tied his decision to the lack of South Korean assistance in the war in Iran, leading to concerns about US commitment to its allies.