US cancels South Korea marine drills, Trump seeks Kim summit

The United States has cancelled a large joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea, the biennial Ssangyong drills, scheduled for next month. South Korea's Marine Corps spokesman Han Seung-jeon said the US Marine Corps formally notified Seoul in June that its ability to deploy forces would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East Source: SCMP. The cancellation follows President Donald Trump's order last week to scale back the separate annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, cutting them from 11 days to five Source: Euronews. Trump cited their high cost and said they sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea, while highlighting his relationship with Kim Jong-un Source: Al Jazeera.

Trump's summit push

Trump is pushing for a face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong-un, possibly on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November Source: The Diplomat. Analysts suggest this is driven by domestic politics, as the Iran war remains unresolved and Trump seeks a foreign policy win before the midterm elections Source: CNA. Trump has also claimed North Korea has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, while Seoul estimates 80 to 120 Source: Al Jazeera.

North Korea's response

Despite the reduction, North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement denouncing the drills Source: AP News. Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister, brushed aside Trump's overture, saying the reduction doesn't change the "provocative and offensive" nature of the exercises Source: NPR. She acknowledged the "excellent" relationship between her brother and Trump, suggesting Pyongyang is "raising the price" of re-engagement rather than closing the door Source: NPR.

Seoul's concerns

South Korea fears being sidelined as Trump signals he can deal with North Korea directly, bypassing Seoul Source: The Diplomat. Trump's frustration with Seoul includes the slow rollout of a $350 billion investment pledge and its refusal to support the US in the Iran war Source: The Diplomat. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Trump's message includes pressure over several pending issues Source: CNA.