{
  "id": 1446685,
  "title": "Trump seeks to scale back joint drills in bid to lure Kim back to talks, experts say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-seeks-to-scale-back-joint-drills-in-bid-to-lure-kim-back-to-1446685",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T07:57:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/defense/20260817/trump-seeks-to-scale-back-joint-drills-in-bid-to-lure-kim-back-to-talks-experts-say"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Donald Trump has proposed reducing joint military drills with South Korea, in a bid to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to resume diplomatic negotiations, according to experts. The U.S. leader argued that the exercises were expensive and conveyed an inappropriate and hostile message to Pyongyang. Trump stated that he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which was already set to commence. This move marks the first time since his second term began that Trump has ordered such a reduction in joint drills. During his first term, following his June 2018 summit with Kim in Singapore, Trump had referred to joint military exercises as \"good.\" Recently, Trump shared a photograph of their 2019 meeting in Panmunjeom, stating that the two leaders \"get along GREAT.\"",
  "summary": "U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea could be an attempt to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the negotiating table, experts said Monday. Trump said Sunday that the exercises were costly and sent an \"inappropriate and hostile signal\" to North Korea, citing his \"very good relationship\" with Kim and claiming Pyongyang \"has been…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-scale-back-joint-exercises-with-south-korea",
        "published": "2026-08-17T00:30:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-scale-back-joint-exercises-with-south-korea-1425170",
        "published": "2026-08-17T05:21:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "PM Shehbaz praises Trump support for Makkah Joint defence pact",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/pm-shehbaz-praises-trump-support-for-makkah-joint-defence-pact",
        "published": "2026-08-17T07:17:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Trump seeks to scale back joint drills in bid to lure Kim back to talks, experts say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-seeks-to-scale-back-joint-drills-in-bid-to-lure-kim-back-to",
        "published": "2026-08-17T07:47:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "US and South Korea begin military drills despite Trump call to scale back",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/us-and-south-korea-begin-military-drills-despite-trump-call-to-scale",
        "published": "2026-08-17T09:22:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}