Joint exercises with South Korea shortened by about half after Trump order

President Trump indicated on Wednesday his intention to meet again with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year. The suggestion stemmed from a report from the Wall Street Journal, which stated that Trump was looking to arrange such a meeting, potentially around the November APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. When queried by a reporter at the White House about his expectations for a meeting with Kim later this year, Trump responded, "Yeah, I will be."

The White House has not officially confirmed these plans, nor has North Korea. Trump plans to attend the APEC summit and has instructed his aides to reach out to the North Korean regime. The objective is to resume negotiations aimed at eliminating North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Trump and Kim have met three times during Trump's first term to discuss denuclearization, but these meetings resulted in little progress.

Since then, North Korea has expanded its nuclear weapons program, leading analysts to believe the totalitarian regime now possesses dozens of nuclear warheads. Trump expressed his rapport with Kim, stating, "I get along with him," noting, "And you know what, the fact that I get along with him, that's a good thing, not a bad thing."

He lamented that North Korea should not have developed these weapons and that, had he been president, he would not have permitted their acquisition. Kim has not shown any inclination to give up the program, stating that he wants the U.S. and the international community to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear power. He has also ruled out talks based on the premise of denuclearization.

Trump appears to be attempting to re-establish direct talks with Kim in light of his decision to decrease the number of U.S. forces taking part in joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump attributed this decision to his "very good relationship with Kim," claiming that the regular military drills sent a "totally inappropriate and hostile signal" to North Korea.

South Korea's absence of support in the ongoing war with Iran was also a contributing factor. The U.S. and South Korea have been allies for over 70 years. The exercises, which typically last 10 days, have been halved this year on Trump's orders and will conclude on Friday. This move has caused concern among U.S. allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan, who are now questioning whether the U.S., which has consistently provided a security guarantee, would defend them if North Korea or China were to act aggressively.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has since called for complete military independence from the U.S. and is pushing for a quicker development of nuclear-powered submarines. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Seoul on Wednesday for a scheduled visit, meeting with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun. He expressed hope for China's cooperation in working towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.