Seoul not notified in advance of Trump's order to scale back drills: FM Cho

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun revealed on Wednesday that the government was not informed ahead of time about U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to scale back joint military exercises. Cho clarified, "Neither our government nor U.S. officials knew what President Trump wrote on his Truth Social." He stressed, "We were not notified in advance."

Cho also commented on the reduction of the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, stating that Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back was reportedly engaged in "close consultations" with U.S. counterparts. He reasoned, "Since our defense minister was involved in the discussions, I do not think it amounts to a unilateral notification."

Concerning whether the scaled-back exercise could impact the planned transfer of wartime operational control, Cho maintained that Washington should not be able to utilize the reduction as a reason to further delay the transfer, as the drills are being reduced at the U.S.' request.

When asked about the potential summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this fall, Cho hinted at the possibility, saying, "Such a meeting is conceivable."