{
  "id": 1666873,
  "title": "Trump's words on South Korea-US joint military drills drive a wedge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/trumps-words-on-south-korea-us-joint-military-drills-drive-a-wedge-1666873",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T08:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/opinion/editorial/20260818/ed-trumps-words-on-south-korea-us-joint-military-drills-drive-a-wedge"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On the first day of the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that he had ordered a substantial reduction of these drills. He criticized the drills, stating they were \"costly\" and \"totally inappropriate and hostile\" to South Korea, which he described as \"unthreatening and respectful\" during his presidency.\n\nTrump's comments were seen as an attempt to facilitate a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he had met three times before in Singapore, Hanoi, and at Panmunjeom. However, when asked by White House journalists about Kim's response to his efforts, Trump only replied with \"He has,\" without providing further details.\n\nThis shift in Trump's position towards South Korea has complicated trade negotiations between the two nations. Despite the President's latest actions, it remains unclear what response, if any, North Korea may have given to Trump's attempts to reengage.",
  "summary": "U.S. President Donald Trump's social media post Sunday announcing that he ordered the Pentagon to \"substantially reduce\" joint South Korea-U.S. military drills, came on the morning of the first day of the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercises. \"These exercises are not only costly ... but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "South Korea president stresses US alliance as many baffled by Trump order to cut exercises",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/south-korea-president-stresses-us-alliance-as-many-baffled-by-trump",
        "published": "2026-08-18T06:53:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Trump's words on South Korea-US joint military drills drive a wedge",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/trumps-words-on-south-korea-us-joint-military-drills-drive-a-wedge",
        "published": "2026-08-18T07:52:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}