Japan has warned that tight-knit security coordination with the United States and South Korea remains “critical” to regional stability, after US President Donald Trump moved to scale back major military drills with Seoul while touting his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Mr Trump said on Sunday he had directed the Pentagon to reduce what he called “inappropriate and hostile” joint exercises with South Korea.
On Monday, he argued that his engagement with Mr Kim had made the situation “much safer”. The two leaders met three times during Mr Trump’s first term, but have not met since his return to the White House.
Even as he spoke warmly of nuclear-armed North Korea’s leader, Mr Trump criticised Seoul, accusing the US ally of failing to back Washington in its campaign against Iran — a war Mr Trump said is intended to prevent Tehran from obtaining an atomic bomb.
Asked in the Oval Office whether Mr Kim had replied to messages, Mr Trump answered: “Yeah, he has.”
He described the exchanges as “very positive” when pressed on how far discussions had progressed, though he offered no additional specifics.
Mr Trump then reinforced his praise for Mr Kim, saying their rapport helped reduce tensions.
“Kim Jong-un has always treated me with great respect,” Mr Trump said.
“I understand him. He understands me.”
South Korean protesters hold placards as they attend a rally to oppose the joint military exercise between South Korea and the US named Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)
‘Critical’ cooperation
The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with South Korea are intended to sharpen readiness for a potential conflict with North Korea, which has long condemned the drills as rehearsals for an invasion.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi offered firm backing for joint security efforts involving Washington and Seoul.
“As Japan faces the most severe and complicated security environment in the post-war era, the cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is critical to the peace and stability of the region,” Mr Koizumi said while visiting Australia.
Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said Canberra remained “very concerned about North Korea’s nuclear programme as well as its missile programme, and we have consistently made that point”.
South Korean officials said the exercises had gone ahead as scheduled, adding they hoped the personal chemistry between Mr Trump and Mr Kim could help restart talks.
Seoul’s presidential office said yesterday the drills carried “no intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula”.
Still, the unification ministry, which oversees relations with the North, said it could not verify whether any direct communication between Mr Kim and Mr Trump had occurred.
“While communication channels between the two sides exist, we cannot verify the specific content of the exchanges,” a spokesperson said.
Yesterday, Mr Trump again cast doubt on US backing for South Korea and NATO allies that he said had declined to contribute to the Iran war.
“Wait a minute. We have 39,000 soldiers over there, guarding you from Kim Jong-un, your next-door neighbour, and you’re not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran. That’s strange,” Mr Trump said in the Oval Office.
“We can’t go around and protect all of these countries, especially when they’re not there to help us,” he said.
North Korea has not responded publicly, though it has previously voiced anger over the regular joint manoeuvres held in the South.
Shaky alliances
The United States has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to reinforce the country’s defences, a remnant of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
A joint field training exercise by South Korea-US Combined Forces Command in Pohang last month
But Mr Trump’s repeated attacks on long-standing alliances have fuelled uncertainty about how firmly Washington will stand by security commitments in East Asia.
His decision to scale back the drills came as the USS George Washington — the only US aircraft carrier currently operating in the Pacific region — is being redeployed to the Middle East to relieve the USS Lincoln.
The Lincoln has drawn scrutiny over crew mental health and supply problems following an extended deployment.
Across the region, US partners are also being pressed to increase military spending, including Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory and has threatened to take by force.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has promised record defence spending in 2027.
Under heavy US pressure to put more money into security, Mr Lai’s government has committed to lifting defence spending to five percent of GDP by 2030.
Read more:
Iran threatens fresh offensive as US rules out extending ceasefire
