Trump Says North Korea Has Responded as He Orders Drill Reduction

On August 17, President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his outreach after Trump ordered a “substantial reduction” of joint U.S.–South Korea military exercises. Trump offered no details; White House officials and North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately comment.

Reuters

Trump’s current overtures echo his first-term diplomacy that produced summits in 2018 and 2019, after which talks stalled over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. Since the last meeting, North Korea has deepened ties with Russia and China, and its troops have fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The drills Trump targeted are long-standing U.S.–South Korea exercises that North Korea denounces as preparations for war.

Reuters

He also described the drills as “costly” and “inappropriate and hostile” to a country that is “unthreatening and respectful” under his presidency. North Korean state media in Pyongyang did not mention Trump but quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a message to North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui about establishing a “new and righteous world order.” No official response was provided by the White House or the North Korean UN mission.

Reuters

• “Kim Jong Un has always treated me with great respect.” — Ukraine

Reuters