The South Korean and U.S. militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the U.S.’s request, South Korean officials said on Wednesday (August 19), days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises.
The allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began on Monday (August 17) morning for an 11-day run, just after Mr. South Korea’s military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the U.S. would end on Friday, not August 27 as initially planned. Kim met three times from 2018-2019 but their high-stakes diplomacy eventually fell apart over wrangling over a North Korean demand for extensive sanctions relief in return for limited denuclearization steps.
Experts said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, now emboldened by his advancing nuclear program and expanding military cooperation, won’t likely embrace Mr. Mr. Trump’s overture anytime soon unless he’s promised bigger concessions. In response to Mr. Trump’s previous outreach, Mr. Mr. Trump and Mr.
Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” them. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran. It said the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.
Kim suggested last year that he can return to talks only after the U.S. drops its demand of a North Korean denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy.
