South Korea hopes for U.S.–North Korea talks after military drills are scaled back
Kyiv • UNN
Seoul is counting on the resumption of talks between Washington and Pyongyang following Trump's order to scale back joint military exercises. Experts doubt Kim Jong Un will quickly agree because of his nuclear capabilities and cooperation with Russia.
South Korea expressed hope for the resumption of meaningful dialogue between the United States and North Korea after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a significant reduction in joint military exercises. AP reports, as cited by UNN.
Details
On Monday, South Korea and the United States began the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises. At the same time, Seoul is concerned that the reduction in the exercises could affect the allies’ readiness to respond to threats from North Korea
Trump said he had instructed U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the scale of the exercises. The American president explained this by citing their high cost and the fact that they allegedly send North Korea an "absolutely inappropriate and hostile signal."
Seoul wants dialogue to resume
The South Korean presidential administration said it hoped to use the good relations between Trump and Kim Jong Un to initiate meaningful dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.
Seoul said it was ready to make the necessary diplomatic efforts to discuss peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung had also previously advocated improving relations with North Korea.
At the same time, experts doubt that Kim Jong Un will quickly agree to return to negotiations. In their view, the North Korean leader may demand significant concessions from the United States, given the development of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and its military cooperation with Russia.