Unification minister says scaled-back drills could open door for dialogue
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday he hoped scaled-back military drills between South Korea and the United States could open the door for dialogue between North Korea and Washington. He made the remarks during a parliamentary committee meeting, as Seoul and Washington announced cutting short their annual summertime military exercise to Friday, concluding the 11-day drills a week…
South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young expressed optimism on Wednesday that scaled-back military drills between Seoul and the United States could pave the way for dialogue with North Korea and Washington. This came as both nations announced they would shorten their annual summer military exercise, the Ulchi Freedom Shield, to just seven days instead of the usual 11.
Minister Chung backed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to trim the drills, stating that the rationale behind the reduction is to enhance safety, which aligns with the alliance's ultimate objective of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. president's directive to scale down the joint exercise was unveiled on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, where Trump contended that the drills conveyed an "inappropriate and hostile" message to North Korea.
When questioned about the implication that he might be prioritizing North Korea's interests over American ones, Minister Chung remained silent.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
