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Talks signal after drill cuts
U.S. President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his request for a conversation, a day after Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea.
“Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises”
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said, “How do you know he hasn’t responded?” and then replied, “Yeah, he has,” adding that the exchange was “very positive” without providing further detail.
Trump linked the drill reduction to Seoul’s refusal to help with the US-Israel war on Iran, saying South Korea was not going to help with “a very easy military operation in Iran.”
South Korea’s presidential office said the drills did not reflect “any intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula,” and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reiterated their purpose is “not to treat a specific entity as an adversary, but to safeguard the safe and peaceful daily lives of the people.”
Trump’s tone, Seoul’s response
Trump told reporters at the Oval Office that he and Kim Jong Un have a “very good relationship,” and he said, “I understand him. He understands me,” while noting Kim “has always treated me with great respect.”
When asked why Kim had not responded to the U.S. president’s efforts to reengage, Trump replied, “How do you know he hasn’t responded?” and then confirmed, “He has,” according to UPI’s account of his remarks.
South Korea’s presidential office said the drills did not reflect “any intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula,” while the Blue House released a statement that Seoul was “paying close attention” to Trump’s comments and hoped friendly relations would lead to meaningful peace talks.
Victor Cha, head of the Korea programme at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters he doubted North Korea would respond immediately, saying, “I think they’re going to bide their time and wait a little bit.”
What’s at stake next
The shift toward dialogue comes as Trump’s relationship with Kim has received less White House emphasis than it did in his first term, when the two men met and exchanged letters before negotiations broke down in 2019 over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
“negotiations broke down in 2019 over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons arsenal”
Al Jazeera reported that since then North Korea has strengthened ties with Russia while maintaining close relations with China, and it noted that North Korean troops fought alongside Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
Trump’s comments also fed into broader alliance tensions, with UPI reporting that Democrats in Congress warned reducing the exercises could undermine military readiness and weaken confidence in U.S. security commitments, and Sen. Jack Reed said, “Kim Jong Un has won a propaganda victory and South Korea, one of our strongest allies, has been punished for no reason beyond Trump's ego.”
In Seoul, the presidential office said it hoped friendly ties between Washington and Pyongyang would lead to dialogue and open discussions to further peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, while also stating it was considering contributing to U.S. efforts in Iran.
