South Korea responded cautiously to President Donald Trump’s announcement that the joint military exercises would be significantly reduced. The Presidential Office in Seoul stated on Monday that the government had noted President Trump’s communication on social media. The office added that the “friendly relations” between the leaders of South Korea and the United States are expected to lead to “meaningful talks” and the start of negotiations aimed at “advancing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
Trump had previously posted on Truth Social, stating that the exercises were not only costly but also sent a “completely inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea. Despite this, the White House has repeatedly affirmed that Trump remains open to dialogue with Pyongyang, “without any preconditions.”
During his first term, the U.S. President personally met with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, three times: once in Singapore in June 2018, again in Hanoi in February 2019, and a third time in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
