South Korea urges renewed US-North Korea talks amid scaled-down joint drills

South Korea said on Monday it hopes the United States’ decision to scale back joint military exercises with Seoul will create conditions for renewed dialogue between Washington and North Korea and help promote stability on the peninsula. The presidential office stressed that a "friendly relationship" between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un could lead to "meaningful dialogue" and pledged diplomatic efforts to support such talks.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which began on Monday, were announced by Trump as "costly" and sending an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea. He instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the exercises, though details of the reductions were not disclosed. The exercises involve about 18,000 South Korean troops and include live-fire, precision-targeting, and equipment-distribution components.

Experts warned that cutting the drills could impair alliance coordination and diminish South Korea’s ability to assume greater defense responsibilities. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, said the move "can damage alliance coordination, slow the process of South Korea taking on greater responsibility for its own defense, and weaken deterrence against possible conflicts in Asia." Duyeon Kim of the Center for a New American Security added that reduced joint drills "weaken military readiness over time against another potential North Korean attack."

North Korea has rejected any talks with the United States and South Korea since 2019 and has intensified weapons testing while deepening ties with Russia and China. Its foreign ministry accused the allies of planning "more provocative drills" and warned of a "new level of deterrent" in response. Analysts noted that Pyongyang often uses the drills for domestic propaganda to portray the United States as hostile.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who favors improved inter-Korean relations, said his government will make necessary diplomatic efforts to foster peace and stability. The opposition People Power Party criticized the administration for focusing on US-North Korea diplomacy instead of addressing domestic security concerns.