Trump wants to be friends with Kim - but South Korea could pay the price

On Friday, South Korea's annual military exercises with the United States came to an abrupt halt at the halfway point. US President Donald Trump had ordered a substantial reduction in the drill, which involves 18,000 South Korean troops and 11 other American allies. Trump criticized the exercise as "inappropriate and hostile" towards North Korea and costly for the US. This unexpected announcement surprised South Korean allies, including Taiwan and Japan, which heavily rely on US security guarantees in the region.

The move has rattled South Korea and raised concerns about Trump's intentions regarding North Korea, as he has stated his expectation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later in the year. South Korea, eager for Trump to engage with Kim for diplomatic purposes, would not have desired the end of the drills to come with demands for cash and military assistance in Iran. The drills are considered crucial to the alliance and a demonstration of US commitment to defend South Korea against Pyongyang.

The sudden decision has shaken South Korean confidence in the US as an ally, with fears that Trump may further reduce the 27,000 US troops stationed in South Korea or even abandon the policy of denuclearizing the North. North Korea has recently launched ballistic missiles towards Japan and reiterated its warning of exercising its nuclear weapons if threatened.

Another concern for South Korea is the Trump administration's blurring of lines between security and trade issues. Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea's refusal to join him in his war in Iran and its reluctance to invest in the $350 billion pledged for US troop hosting.

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung praised Trump's decision as a bold move to achieve peace and pledged to increase defense spending, expressing full agreement with Trump's view that South Korea should be responsible for its own security. However, while some South Koreans support the idea of developing nuclear weapons, the government argues that it is unnecessary and potentially harmful to alliances.

The US's increasingly capricious approach to diplomacy has both served as a risk and opportunity for South Korea, with a history of successful summits with North Korea but also facing retaliation in the aftermath of Trump's meetings with Kim. Despite these challenges, it remains uncertain whether another summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un will take place.